WEIGHT LOSS TREATMENTS
Obesity is one of the leading preventable causes of death in the United States. It is a risk factor for many types of cancer, can cause infertility, and quadruples the risk of developing osteoarthritis. Over 2.5 million deaths a year are attributable to excess weight.
Can obesity be treated?
Yes. Obesity is a disease, and it is a treatable one. Even though the statistics on people successfully losing weight with diet and exercise alone can be disheartening, there is hope. We offer treatments that work. Bariatric surgery is the only truly successful way to treat morbid obesity and its associated health effects.
Does bariatric surgery really work?
Yes. No treatment works for every person, but bariatric surgeries like the gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, duodenal switch, and Lap Band have been proven successful.
What are the treatment options?
There is a wide variety of ways to lose weight, beginning with making diet and exercise changes. While lifestyle alone will allow someone to lose a little weight, generally, it is not realistic to treat obesity and its related comorbidities just through diet. There are now prescription medications available for weight loss, but these have limited effect and generally lose about 5% of someone's weight. For people with obesity, a weight loss in the 5% range is generally not enough. The treatment options we offer are the ones that are known to result in substantial weight loss for many patients. These options are:
Weight Loss Balloon (endoscopic intragastric balloon)
A weight loss balloon is a non-surgical option. Leaves 1 to 3 inflated silicon balloons in the stomach for six months, making less room for food and causing patients to feel full sooner while eating.
Lap Band (laparoscopic adjustable gastric band)
The Lap Band is a minimally invasive surgery where a flexible ring is put around the stomach's upper part. This ring is tightened to varying degrees to create a small upper pouch, with a narrow passage to the larger lower part of your stomach. This creates a small stomach pouch above the band that fills up quicker while eating and causes patients to feel full sooner.
Gastric Sleeve (vertical sleeve gastrectomy)
The gastric sleeve surgery, or sleeve gastrectomy, is a minimally invasive surgery where our surgeon removes about 80-90% of your stomach. This smaller stomach helps you feel full after eating less food. Patients also report feeling less hungry because there are hormonal changes associated with the gastric sleeve.
Gastric Bypass (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass)
The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is a bariatric surgery involving a smaller stomach and rerouting of the intestines. The slimmer stomach makes patients feel full after eating little meals and leads to fewer calories being absorbed by the body.
Duodenal switch (biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch)
This makes the stomach smaller, reroutes the intestines, and removes the gallbladder, causing patients to feel less hungry, feel full sooner while eating, and absorb fewer calories and minerals.
Jan 12, 2021
HUNG M. DO, MD, Ph.D