People with an inflammatory disease, severe heart or lung disease, esophageal, stomach or intestinal problems, cirrhosis or who are pregnant are not candidates.
3. What are my options for weight loss surgery?
The two most common operations are adjustable gastric banding and gastric bypass. With both procedures, the size of the area in stomach where food collects is reduced.
The adjustable gastric band is less invasive than gastric bypass and is often done laparoscopically. By placing an adjustable band around the stomach the surgeon creates an upper pouch. As the name suggests, the band can be adjusted in follow-up, outpatient procedures to ensure that the pouch is the right size to control weight loss.
During Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, a surgeon creates a small pouch at the top of the stomach using staples. The small intestine is then rearranged and connected directly to the pouch, creating a bypass of the small intestine.
The band is adjustable; the bypass is not adjustable. The band is reversible; the gastric bypass is irreversible.
4. How much weight can I expect to lose?
That depends on the procedure and the individual. With the adjustable gastric banding procedure, weight loss progresses steadily over a 2- to 3-year period and then stabilizes. The final result is usually between 50 percent and 60 percent of the excess weight. After four years, studies show the level of weight loss is equal to that achieved by gastric bypass surgery.
