Bariatric Surgery
The Department of Surgery at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital led by Chairman Javier Andrade, MD., DACS, provides comprehensive surgical care, including many minimally invasive procedures for a wide range of conditions—now including options for weight loss surgery.
Is Weight Loss Surgery an Option for You?
This type of surgery may be an option if at least one of the following conditions applies to you:
- Your body mass index (BMI) is over 40
- You have a BMI of 35 or more plus medical problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, arthritis, or heart disease
- You have obesity-related problems that interfere with work, family life, or basic walking
- You are unable to lose weight or maintain weight loss through traditional methods such as diet and exercise
- Depending on the procedure, from 40 to 75 percent of excess body weight is usually lost over the next two to three years
- Most obesity-related conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure often improve or resolve
- Many patients maintain long-term weight loss if they are able to make the necessary lifestyle changes and are committed to following their nutrition plan and activity routine
The Benefits of Weight Loss Surgery
Laparoscopic Adjustable Stomach Banding
This minimally-invasive procedure involves placing an adjustable silicone band around the upper portion of the stomach, making a narrow opening through which food travels. The band restricts the amount of food a person can eat. The band can be tightened or loosened as needed.
Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass Surgery
This minimally-invasive procedure surgically shrinks and bypasses food around part of the stomach. This reduces the amount of food patients can eat and the number of calories their bodies can absorb. Performing this procedure laparoscopically means that instruments are inserted through small incisions rather than a large one. Patients benefit by having a faster recovery, a lower risk of complications and less scarring.
What You Should Expect Before and After Surgery
Weight loss surgery is a life-changing event. In addition to the physical transformations, patients will need to adjust to many other changes in their daily life. Challenges may relate to eating and drinking, mental health, physical activity and interpersonal relationships. Before and after surgery, our weight loss team guides patients through the basic principles of weight loss surgery, complications, expected outcomes, dietary regimens, and discharge instructions.
We also offer instructions and post-surgical care, including re-operative surgical procedures if there are problems after a previous bariatric operation. These depend greatly on the individual nature of the previous surgery and the ongoing problem.