In the first place a weight loss surgery San Antonio is not like “one size fits all”. There are different types of surgeries to achieve the goal of weight loss and collectively this may be referred as bariatric surgery.

Gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, duodenal switch, Lap band, Gastric Balloon and V Block therapy are among some of the procedures falling under the broad category of medical weight loss in San Antonio.

Gastric bypass

The medical profession calls this RYGB or “Roux-en Y”. In this process just a small portion of your stomach known as the pouch is left and the rest is removed. Effectively this reduces the size of your stomach, leading to lesser consumption of food. The food consumed will bypass the rest of your stomach and go straight to the small intestine from the pouch. This surgery often uses a laparoscope which is a gadget fitted with tiny cameras. The gadget is inserted into your stomach via small incisions.

Gastric band (adjustable)

In this procedure is a small band is placed atop your stomach. The band comes with a small balloon inside for controlling the tightness of the band. The purpose of the band again is to limit the quantum of food that you consumer. A laparoscope is employed in this procedure too.

Gastric Sleeve

In this procedure, most of your stomach is removed and just about the upper part representing a narrow section is retained and this is known as gastric sleeve.  This procedure aims at reigning in Ghrelin, a hormone that triggers appetite.

 Duodenal Switch

This is relatively more complicated and removes most of your stomach and employs a gastric sleeve that will largely bypass the small intestine. Once again the objective is to limit how much you eat. The flip side is that with less food consumed, you may not get adequate vitamins, minerals and nutrients from food.

Speak to a bariatric surgeon San Antonio to determine which option suits you best.