Loss Specialist Surgery Weight

As weight loss surgery risks include complications as well as mortality, it should be considered as a last resort. For those considering surgery to lose weight, there are two types of obesity surgery: restrictive surgery and combined restrictive and malabsorptive surgery.

Restrictive Surgery for Weight Loss

In order to restrict food intake by shrinking the size of the stomach, the bands or staples are surgically placed near the top of the stomach to section off a small portion that is called a stomach pouch. A small outlet is left at the bottom of the stomach pouch, which holds about one ounce of food initially and expands to two to three ounces later. According to the American Obesity Association (AOA), the most commonly performed procedure is Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG), or also known as Stomach Stapling. Other procedures include Gastric Banding and Laparoscopic Gastric Banding (Lap-Band).

Benefits of Restrictive Surgery

The AOA says about 80% of patients lose some weight with VBG. The long-term weight loss success rate with VBG is 40 to 63% of excess body weight over a three-year period and 50 to 60% after five years. A three-year study with Lap-Band resulted in 62% of patients who lost at least 25% of their excess weight.