The Gastric Sleeve has become the most popular bariatric operation for Sage Bariatric’s patients. It is effective and has a low risk of complications. Most of the stomach is removed, resulting in a smaller stomach as well as decreased hunger due to lowered hunger hormones.
Sage Bariatric’s surgeons are experts on the gastric bypass and have done thousands of gastric bypass surgeries. The Gastric Bypass has been done since the early 1980’s and has an outstanding track record of safety and effectiveness. The Gastric Bypass is especially effective for correction of Diabetes and severe Heartburn/Reflux.
The stomach is significantly reduced in size, and food flow is re-routed to “bypass” the lower stomach and duodenum. Re-routing of the food leads to substantial correction of abnormal hunger and metabolic imbalance.
The Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch (BPD-DS) is the most intense bariatric operation that is performed in the U.S. Not only does it have a smaller stomach and decreased appetite, it also rearranges the intestine to reduce the normal absorption of food.
The BPD-DS has the most weight loss, but also a higher risk of vitamin/nutrition complications compared to the Gastric Sleeve or Gastric Bypass.
Sage Bariatric’s surgeons perform revision operations to correct prior weight loss surgeries that need adjusting. If you have unresolved complications or if you have not achieved your desired weight loss from a previous surgery, a revision operation might be right for you.
Adjustable Gastric Banding is performed by placing a band around the uppermost part of the stomach, thereby limiting the amount of food one can eat at a time. Due to the need for long-term adjustments to the band, it is no longer commonly performed, but it is still an option for Sage Bariatric patients.
The balloon is placed into the stomach and filled with medical saline fluid until there is very little free space. Placement is done using a scope down the throat under IV anesthesia. Recovery is quick. Patients usually lose 15-30 pounds.*
(*Results may vary.)
Every successful bariatric procedure helps people lose weight in two ways:
In other words, bariatric procedures make it easier to become satisfied with a small amount of healthy food.
Sage Bariatric has performed over 15,000 bariatric operations. Our focus every day is to provide optimal bariatric surgical care, helping our patients get back the life they deserve. Sage Bariatric’s comprehensive team, including medical obesity specialists and an obesity-education certified dietitian, work closely with each patient to help them get the best results.
Your surgery is only the first step towards your successful weight loss. Follow-up with our medical team is critical to ensure you maximize your weight loss and that you safely do it . Lab work needs to be done periodically to monitor your nutrition and vitamin levels. Regular post-op visits are necessary to make sure you are on the right track in terms of your diet, exercise, and behaviors. Weight loss surgery is a lifetime journey; not a one-time event.
We look forward to helping you on this journey every step of the way!
Currently, there are two basic approaches to weight loss surgery: restrictive operations and operations that combine restriction and malabsorption. Restrictive procedures (such as a adjustable gastric banding and sleeve gastrectomy) simply limit the amount of food that a person can eat at one time. Combination procedures (such as gastric bypass) help give patients the feeling of satisfaction from only a small amount of food and lessen the amount of calories that are absorbed from the food eaten.
Sage Bariatric surgeons perform bariatric procedures using minimally invasive techniques for the least pain, quickest recovery, and best visualization. In fact many of the laparoscopic techniques in use were first pioneered by Dr. Alan Wittgrove, who is the mentor of Sage Bariatrics founder Dr. Sonny Cavazos.
Weight loss surgery, or bariatric surgery, was developed in the 1950′s and has been revised over time to be a safe and effective treatment for morbid obesity. Dr. Alan Wittgrove of San Diego performed the first laparoscopic gastric bypass. Dr. Wittgrove was the trainer and mentor of Dr. Sonny Cavazos, our medical director. In 2005, an estimated 175,000 people in the United States underwent bariatric surgery, according to the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery. That number is increasing every year as more people learn about the benefits of surgery.
Bariatric surgery has proven to be the most successful method for weight loss for patients with severe obesity. Additionally, bariatric surgery is also responsible for the resolution or improvement of many other serious medical problems. For example:
Brethauer SA, Chand B, Shauer PR. Risks and benefits of bariatric surgery: Current evidence. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine 2006; 73:1-15.