Bariatric Surgery: Which Surgical Option is Right for You?
As patients begin exploring the benefits of weight-loss surgery, they may discover that they have more surgical options than they know about. The Penn Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery Program offers a range of surgical options which, coupled with a healthy lifestyle, can help ensure lasting weight loss. Surgeons will discuss these options with their patients to determine which surgery is the best fit for their individual situation:
- Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). In this procedure, which is the most common form of bariatric surgery, the intestine is connected to the upper portion of the stomach. This essentially shortens the digestive tract so that food bypasses the larger part of the stomach and part of the intestine. It limits both the amount of food the patient can consume and the calories and nutrients that can be absorbed during digestion.
- Sleeve gastrectomy. During this procedure, the majority of the stomach is removed and the remainder shaped into a tube-like ”sleeve”. As a result, patients feel full on less food and for a longer period of time.
- Adjustable gastric band. Also known as a LAP BAND® , this procedure is the least invasive. It involves cinching a medical band around the top portion of the stomach to restrict the amount of food the stomach can hold at one time. The procedure also causes the stomach’s production of hunger hormones to slow down, which lessens the patient’s appetite.
No matter what procedure they choose, patients of Penn’s Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Program can be assured of a relatively quick recovery time, thanks to the minimally invasive approaches used for surgery. Laproscopic techniques, in which the procedure is performed via a small incision in the abdomen, have cut recovery times to anywhere between one and three days. Some procedures can also be performed using robotic-assisted surgery. For more information, sign up for a free weight-loss surgery information session today.
