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Bariatric Surgery

Surgical Options

Contact Information
 
(608) 265-7090
(608) 265-1211 (fax)
 
Video
 
UW Health bariatric surgeons perform the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and laparoscopic adjustable gastric band procedures as well as revisional surgery.
 
The majority of these procedures are done laparoscopically, where a small video camera and the surgical instruments are inserted through tiny holes in the abdomen, allowing the surgeon to perform and view the surgery on a video monitor. This approach reduces operating time, leads to quicker recovery with fewer complications and reduces your hospital stay.
 
Surgery Options 
  • Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

    During the operation, surgical staples are used to create a small pouch at the top of the stomach. A segment of the small intestine is then attached to this pouch. Food bypasses most of the stomach and the first part of the small intestine. Read more about Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass 
     
  • Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band

    The laparoscopic adjustable gastric band is a device designed to limit the capacity of your stomach. This device is placed around the upper part of the stomach, forming a small gastric pouch to limit the amount of food that you eat and to slow the emptying process from the stomach into the intestines. Read more about the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band
     
  • Revisional Surgery

    This procedure is for patients who have already had a procedure in the past and now need some sort of revision or repair.
New Pouch Size
 
With both procedures, a small pouch made from your upper stomach is essential to weight loss. Pouches are measured to be 20 to 30 mL (one ounce, or about the size of an egg ).
 
Pouches grow in the two years following surgery. Most pouches wind up with a capacity of about six ounces (180 mL), with some as large as 10 ounces. The size of each patient's pouch does not correlate with weight loss. How a pouch is used is more important than its size when considering weight maintenance