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Types of Bariatric Surgery Procedures

Our bariatric surgical team specializes in minimally invasive (laparoscopic) surgery, which involves small incisions using tiny instruments and a camera to guide the surgery. Smaller incisions result in decreased scarring, reduced pain, less complications, and a quicker recovery. Our team will work with you to determine which of the procedures best meets your needs.

Weight loss procedures fall into three categories:

  •  Restrictive procedures make the stomach smaller to limit the amount of food Intake.
  •  Mapabsorptive procedures reduce the amount of intestine that comes in contact with food so the body absorbs fewer calories.
  •  Combination surgeries involved both restriction and malabsorptions.

Surgery Options include:

The Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Procedure

Gastric BypassHistorically the most frequently performed weight-loss procedure in the United States, Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass is the gold standard for surgery. The procedure uses a combination of restriction and malabsorption. The surgeon creates a smaller stomach pouch, and attaches a Y-shaped section of the small intestine directly to the pouch. This permits food to bypass a large portion of the small intestine, which absorbs calories and nutrients. The smaller stomach pouch makes patients feel fuller sooner and eat less food; the patient absorbs less calories because the food bypasses a portion of the small intestine.

The Duodenal Switch Procedure

The duodenal switch is a variation of the gastric bypass that involves bypassing a much greater length of the small intestine.  This procedure was originally developed for the more severely obese individual.

Gastric Sleeve Surgery

sleeveGastric sleeve surgery is one of the newest procedures and is fast gaining in popularity. The surgery makes the stomach smaller so individuals feel full faster. In this surgery more than half of the stomach is removed, leaving a narrow vertical sleeve, or tube, that is about the size of a banana. Surgical staples keep the new stomach closed. Because part of the stomach has been removed, this procedure is not reversible.

After surgery the patient will need to make lifelong changes in eating habits that include eating smaller portions. However, that shouldn’t be a challenge because research shows that this surgery causes favorable changes in gut hormones that suppress hunger, reduce appetite and improve satiety. Sometimes this surgery is done as the first step prior to duodenal switch surgery if the patient needs to lose a significant amount of weight.


Your surgeon will discuss your options with you and together you can determine which surgery will work best for you. Our surgeons also perform open procedures where the surgeon creates a single larger incision to open the abdomen for the operation, but this procedure is only used if it is the most appropriate for your individual health condition.