At Yuma Regional Medical Center, we offer several types of weight loss surgeries. Each of these laparoscopic (minimally invasive) procedures use smaller incisions than traditional surgery, leading to increased safety, less scarring, a decreased hospital stay and faster recovery.
You and your doctor will work together to decide which of these options is best for you:
Sleeve Gastrectomy (Gastric Sleeve)
This procedure permanently reshapes the stomach into a long, thin pouch that limits the amount of food that you can eat at one time. This means that you will feel full sooner and stay full longer. As you eat less food, your body will stop storing excess calories and start using its fat supply for energy. With this procedure, food passes through the digestive tract in the usual manner, allowing it to be fully absorbed into your body.
Gastric Bypass
During this procedure, the surgeon creates a small pouch on the top of the stomach. This will affect how your body weight is regulated in two ways. First, it will cause you to be satisfied with very small meal portions. Secondly, you will absorb less calories from food due to the bypassed portion of intestine.
Panniculectomy
The massive weight loss that occurs after bariatric surgery can create significant changes in the abdomen, including excess loose skin, stretch marks, rashes or open wounds. Having excess loose skin can also interfere with a patient’s hygiene and movement. A panniculectomy is a procedure that removes the overhanging “apron” of skin that develops in the lower abdomen as a result of weight loss after bariatric surgery. This surgery is reserved for those who have lost a significant amount of weight through weight loss surgery and have a BMI less than 30.
Weight Loss Revisions
Lap Band Removal/Conversion
The Lap Band, also known as an adjustable gastric band, was once the most popular bariatric procedure performed in the United States. However, some patients developed an intolerance to this band, resulting in problems such as excessive nausea and vomiting, difficulty swallowing and pain after eating, so use of the Lap Band has decreased.
If you have developed these issues, the bariatric surgery team at Yuma Regional Medical Center can remove your band. However, without another bariatric procedure, you are likely to regain weight. Yuma Regional Medical Center offers gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy surgery six months after band removal.
Before you have a weight loss procedure, you must complete the Yuma Regional Medical Center Bariatric Program. Please call us at 928-336-5483 (LITE) to get started with this unique education program.
If you have any questions about weight loss surgery at Yuma Regional Medical Center, please call us as 928-336-5483 (LITE) or email us at [email protected] and a member of our team will be glad to assist you.