Weight loss surgery

The surgeons at Medical City Frisco specialize in four types of bariatric surgery and the compassionate staff has extensive experience working with weight loss surgery patients. We also offer the latest in technology with robotic surgery for weight loss.

The sleeve gastrectomy is a non-reversible procedure that restricts the amount of food your stomach can hold. A gastric “sleeve” is created by removing roughly 70 to 80 percent of the stomach. This restricts the amount of food that can be eaten, allowing weight loss without bypassing any portion of the stomach or intestine.

Benefits of sleeve gastrectomy

• Reduces the amount of food the stomach can hold
• Encourages speedy and significant weight loss similar to that of the gastric bypass
• Does not require implanting an artificial device in the abdomen or rerouting the flow of food
• Produces positive changes in gut hormones, causing patients to feel less hungry

   

Risks of sleeve gastrectomy

• Leaks can occur from staple lines or poor healing
• Vitamin and mineral deficiency can occur
• Intolerance to certain foods can occur
• Weight gain can occur if patients do not follow the appropriate dietary guidelines

During a gastric bypass, staples are used to divide the stomach into a smaller upper section and a larger bottom section. The smaller section will be the size of a walnut or large egg and is typically referred to as a pouch.

Next, a section of the small intestine is attached directly to the pouch. This allows food to bypass the lower stomach and a portion of the small intestine. The rerouting of food makes you feel full faster and improves blood glucose control.

Benefits of gastric bypass surgery

• Generates 60 to 80 percent weight loss
• Restricts the quantity of food that can be consumed
• Produces positive changes in gut hormones, causing patients to feel less hungry
• Does not require implanting an artificial device in the abdomen

Risks of gastric bypass surgery

• Leaks can occur from staple lines or poor healing
• Vitamin and mineral deficiency (patients will be on lifelong vitamin supplementation and should have their vitamin levels checked at regular intervals)
• Intolerance to certain foods can occur
• Dumping syndrome, which can cause vomiting, nausea, faintness, sweating and diarrhea after consuming foods high in sugar or carbohydrates
• Weight gain can occur if patients do not follow the appropriate dietary guidelines

First, a smaller, tubular stomach pouch is created by removing a portion of the stomach. Then, a large portion of the small intestine is rearranged separating the flow of food coming from the smaller stomach from the digestive juices and not allowing the two to mix until it reaches the last portion of the small intestine. This surgery decreases the number of calories absorbed but also the quantity of food that can be held inside the stomach.

Benefits of duodenal switch

• Results in greater weight loss than the sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass, i.e. 60 to 70% excess weight loss or greater, at 5 year follow up
• Allows patients to eventually eat near “normal” meals
• Reduces the absorption of fat by 70% or more
• Produces favorable changes in gut hormones — patients often feel less hungry and state the desire to eat is reduced.
• Is the most effective against diabetes compared to the sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass.

Risks of duodenal switch

• Has higher complication rates and risk for mortality than the sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass. Patients should make sure that they have discussed these risks with their surgeon.
• Has a greater potential to cause protein deficiencies and long-term deficiencies in a number of vitamin and minerals. Patients will be on lifelong vitamin supplementation and should have their vitamin levels checked at regular intervals.
• Compliance with follow-up visits and care and strict adherence to dietary and vitamin supplementation guidelines are critical to avoiding serious complications from protein and certain vitamin deficiencies. It is recommended that all patients follow up at regular intervals during the first year and then on at least a yearly basis thereafter with their surgeon.

We also offer bariatric revision surgery for patients who have already undergone weight loss surgery. This procedure may be used if you experienced complications or did not achieve your desired weight loss with the first surgery. Reasons for revision surgery may include:

• The stomach pouch has become larger
• The gastric pouch outlet may have increased in diameter
• Increase in intestine intake abilities
• Gastric band slippage