Bariatric Surgery

Types of Bariatric Surgery

About Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery is a surgical procedure that reduces the size of the stomach and helps patients with losing weight. Our multidisciplinary bariatric and weight-management teams provide adult, adolescent, and pediatric bariatric services. The patient experience 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 specific ways that bariatric surgeries help people lose weight. The first is called mal-absorption. Mal-absorption 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 mal-absorptive, while others, like the Lap-Band or Sleeve Gastrectomy, are restrictive only.

About the Bariatric Surgery Program at UI Health

The Bariatric Surgery Program at UI Health offers many types of treatments for obesity including bariatric surgery procedures 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 the best bariatric procedure based on your personal situation. The most common operations we perform are:

• Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYBG)
  Pronounced, "roo-en-why," this Gastric Bypass procedure is the most commonly performed weight-loss operation in the United States. This procedure often is performed robotically at UI Health, which eliminates the need for large incisions. Gastric Bypass may be a suitable treatment option if you are suffering from type 2 diabetes related to obesity.
• Sleeve Gastrectomy
  The Sleeve Gastrectomy is an operation where 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.  
• Laparoscopic Adjustable Band
  The Laparoscopic Adjustable Band — Lap 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 only recommended for select patients with less weight to lose.
• Adolescent Weight Loss Surgery
  UI Health is one of the few centers in the country offering weight-loss surgical treatment to older adolescents, and we have been involved in studying the efficacy of this treatment in adolescents. We offer surgical treatments to adolescents from the ages of 15–19 years, and we have a multidisciplinary pediatric support team.
• Post-Surgical Body Contouring
  For some patients, the rapid loss of weight can leave them with excess skin that can be cosmetically unappealing and can cause further medical issues. The team at UI Health is led by of one of the nation's leading practitioners in body contouring.

Our Location

Outpatient Care Center, Suite 3F
1801 W. Taylor St.
Chicago IL, 60612
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