At the USA Health Center for Comprehensive Weight Loss, we offer many options for weight loss services. In addition to medically supervised weight-loss and dietitian-lead lifestyle management, we perform three types of bariatric surgeries. These procedures can be performed laparoscopically or robotically with small or open incisions. Nearly all of Dr. Laan’s weight-loss surgeries use small incisions.
Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Technique
In a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, we divide the stomach with a stapler to make a small pouch, reducing the patient's stomach capacity from the size of a football to the size of an egg, so the patient will feel full with less food. We attach a Y-shaped section of the small intestine to the pouch, so food bypasses most of the stomach and goes directly into the “roux limb.” Most patients do not experience excessive malabsorption of nutrients, and the ability to consume fluids is not affected because they quickly pass through the pouch. Patients typically lose 60-70% of their excess body weight. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass also can reduce symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Sleeve Gastrectomy
In a sleeve gastrectomy, we remove the outside portion of the stomach to create a long, tubular shape like a banana. By reducing the volume of the stomach, the patient will feel satisfied with less food, so they will eat less and lose weight. Unlike gastric bypass, this procedure does not involve rerouting the intestines. Because it does not involve intestinal malabsorption, the patient must eat a healthy diet and exercise to maintain optimal weight loss. Patients who have a sleeve gastrectomy usually lose 50-60% of their excess body weight.
Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch (BPD/DS)
BPD/DS is a two-step procedure. First, we perform a sleeve gastrectomy to remove the outside portion of the stomach, reducing its volume. But unlike a sleeve gastrectomy, we do not remove the pyloric valve, which releases food to the small intestine. We also leave the duodenum, the portion of the small intestine that connects to the stomach. Second, we bypass the majority of the intestine by connecting its end to the duodenum. A BPD/DS reduces how much the patient can eat and how many nutrients they can absorb. It is recommended for patients whose body mass index (BMI) is greater than 50.
