004 What kinds of Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) are Available?

WLS is pretty self-explanatory. It is a surgery that is a tool designed to help an individual lose weight. But you may be wondering what kinds of surgeries are out there. I am going to give you a brief explanation of the four surgeries that I am aware of, but remember that I am not a doctor. If you have any medical questions or concerns please consult your doctor.

WLS Option #1: Lap-Band

Lap-Band reduces the amount of food you are able to consume in one setting without removal of any part of the stomach. This is accomplished through the insertion of a band around the top part of the stomach which creates a smaller stomach pouch for food. This makes you feel full faster and longer as the band also restricts how quickly food can progress from your stomach to the rest of your digestive system. For more information about the Lap-Band please visit Lapband.com.

WLS Option #2: Gastric Bypass (Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass)

Gastric Bypass surgery reduces the size of the stomach through the surgical removal of a large portion of the stomach. It also involves a redirection of the small intestine which bypasses the upper portion of the small intestine. In addition to reducing the stomach size the surgical removal of the stomach reduces the production of the “hunger hormone” which controls appetite. This helps you to feel full longer and to process food longer. For more information about Gastric Bypass please visit Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass on Webmd.com.

WLS Option #3: Gastric Sleeve *Jimmy's Surgery*

Gastric Sleeve surgery removes a large portion of the stomach but leaves all of the small intestine intact as is. This still reduces the production of the “hunger hormone” and creates a smaller holding area for food entering the stomach but it causes fewer nutrient absorption issues because the small intestine remains fully intact. For more information about Gastric Sleeve please visit Gastric Sleeve Surgery on thebariatricsurgeryresource.com.

WLS Option #4: Gastric Bypass with a Doudenal Switch
(Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch)

The Doudenal Switch is a weight loss surgery procedure that is composed of a restrictive and a malabsorptive aspect. The restrictive portion of the surgery involves removing approximately 70% of the stomach along the greater curvature. The malabsorptive portion of the surgery reroutes a lengthy portion of the small intestine, creating two separate pathways and one common channel. The shorter of the two pathways, the digestive loop, takes food from the stomach to the common channel. The much longer pathway, the biliopancreatic loop, carries bile from the liver to the common channel. The common channel is the portion of small intestine, usually 75-150 centimeters long, in which the contents of the digestive path mix with the bile from the biliopancreatic loop before emptying into the large intestine. The objective of this arrangement is to reduce the amount of time the body has to capture calories from food in the small intestine and to selectively limit the absorption of fat. As a result, following surgery, these patients only absorb approximately 20% of the fat they intake. This is copied directly from Wikipedia as I didn’t know how to summarize it myself. For more information about Duodenal Switch please visit Doudenal Switch on Wikipedia.org.

I hope this helps to make you aware of the kinds of Weight Loss Surgeries available. Please consult your doctor if you are considering WLS.