Bariatric Surgery

Eating healthy and spending hours on a treadmill may seem like the right move when it comes to losing weight, but shedding pounds and keeping them off can be a real struggle that lasts a lifetime. While obesity affects many, sometimes making serious attempts to battle the bulge through diet and exercise just doesn’t work. And in these cases, bariatric surgery, like laparoscopic gastric bypass or the laparoscopic gastric sleeve, may be an option. The bariatric team at West Coast Joint and Spine Surgery Center can help.

While the thought of weight-loss surgery may seem daunting, some surgeries are actually minimally invasive procedures.

The bariatric team at West Coast Joint and Spine Surgery Center will guide you through the surgical process and recovery options.

Some of the bariatric surgery options include:

• The Gastric Bypass: restricts food intake and decreases the absorption of food.
• The Gastric Sleeve: a procedure in which the stomach is reduced to about the size of a banana.
• The Gastric Band: placed around the top of the stomach to decrease food intake.

Laparoscopic/Robotic Gastric Bypass is for the morbidly obese, and it helps patients lose a significant amount of weight. Laparoscopic/Robotic Gastric Sleeve is a weight loss procedure that restricts food intake.

Any surgery is a big decision, and bariatric surgery is no different. Expect a process of weight loss after surgery, as it’s not an immediate or quick-fix solution. But you can count on our caring physicians and bariatric teams at West Coast Joint and Spine Surgery Center to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle after surgery.

Weight loss surgery is generally designed for those with a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 40, or equal to or greater than 35 with serious co-morbidities. Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding is also FDA-approved for weight loss surgery in people with a BMI of 30 to 35 who have at least one obesity-related condition. Weight loss surgery is considered safe, but like many types of surgery, it does have risks. Consult with your physician about the risks and benefits of weight loss surgery.