Bariatric Surgery (Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery)
UI Hospital is accredited as a Level 1 Center of Excellence in Bariatric Surgery by the American College of Surgeons. We help hundreds of patients a year lose weight by providing safe treatment using the latest technology, including laparoscopic and robotic surgery for gastric bypass, gastric banding other gastric surgery techniques. Most of our procedures are performed with minimal incisions which are less painful, more aesthetic and results in most of our patients returning home sooner and returning to normal activity quicker.
We have a dedicated and caring multidisciplinary team of expert surgeons, nurses, dieticians and psychologists. This team addresses all aspects of health and well being including psychological and medical conditions before, during, and after surgery. We are here for the long term, and will continue to follow your progress and provide ongoing support.
Our Services
What is Bariatric Surgery?
Bariatric Surgery is a surgical procedure that reduces the size of the stomach and help patients to lose weight. Our multidisciplinary bariatric and weight management teams provide adult and adolescent services. The patient's experience with our team starts with an initial consultation that includes an extensive medical evaluation. The surgeon will ask about your medical history, including past surgeries and current medications.
How does Bariatric Surgery Work?
There are two main ways that bariatric surgeries help people lose weight. The first is called malabsorption. Malabsorption surgeries are those that make the digestive tract shorter, so fewer calories are absorbed from the food you eat. The second is restriction, which reduces the size of the stomach. A smaller stomach creates a feeling of fullness after eating a small amount of food. Some surgeries, such as gastric bypass, are both restrictive and malabsorptive, while others like the LAP-BAND are restrictive only.
Types of Bariatric Surgery Procedures
UI Hospital offers many different operations to treat severe obesity. It is important to remember that no single operation is right for everyone, which is why our team of expert physicians will help you decide based on your personal situation.
The most common operations we perform are:
• LAP-BAND Adjustable Gastric Band
The band decreases the functional size of the stomach, which means after eating only a small amount of food you will feel full. This is the least invasive form of bariatric surgery and is reversible. Read More...
• Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYBG)
Pronounced, "roo-en-why," this gastric bypass is the most commonly performed weight loss operation in the United States. A surgical stapler is used to separate the upper portion of the stomach from the lower portion. Gastric Bypass may be a suitable treatment option if you are suffering from Type II Diabetes related to Obesity. Read More....
• Robotic-Assisted Gastric Bypass
Robotic-Assisted Surgery eliminates the need for large incisions that add to recovery time, and UI Hospital is the only center in Illinois and one of only a few centers in the country that offers this ground breaking approach to gastric bypass surgery. Read More...
• Sleeve Gastrectomy
The Sleeve Gastrectomy is an operation in which the left side of the stomach is surgically removed. This procedure is less invasive than a gastric bypass, but is not reversible like a gastric band. Read More....
• Adolescent Gastric Banding
UI Hospital is one of the few centers in the country offering weight loss surgical treatment to older adolescents, and has been involved in studying the efficacy of this treatment in adolescents for the past four years. The center offers surgical treatments to adolescents from the ages of 15 - 19 years, and has a multidisciplinary pediatric support team.
• Post Surgical Body Contouring
For some patient, the rapid loss of weight can leave patients with excess skin that can be cosmetically unappealing, and can also cause further medical complications. The team at UI Hospital is led by of one of the nation's leading practitioners in body contouring.
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