• Weight Management

Different Types of Weight Loss Surgery

Medically reviewed and edited by Diana DaSilva, FNP-BC

Losing weight can be a challenging and often impossible task for many individuals. But did you know that various procedures can help you achieve your goals?

Although typically saved for extreme cases, weight loss surgery is an extremely effective way to shed those excess pounds.

Many of these surgeries are low-risk and don’t have an intense recovery process, making them an attractive option for overweight individuals.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what different weight loss surgeries entail, how to prepare for your procedure, and what to do afterwards to prioritize your overall health.

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When Would You Need Weight Loss Surgery?

Weight loss surgeries are usually only considered when traditional methods for shedding excess pounds have not been effective.

These procedures, commonly referred to as bariatric surgery, are usually designated for individuals struggling with obesity and associated health conditions.

Factors that your doctor may consider before recommending weight loss surgery include:

• If your body mass index (BMI) is 35 or higher with serious obesity-related conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and sleep apnea

• Your previous weight loss surgery and other efforts — including dietary changes, exercise, and the use of medications — have been unsuccessful

• If chronic health complications related to your weight that could be fatal

• Your age and overall health, since these surgeries are not typically recommended for people younger than 18 or older than 65

Like any major surgery, weight loss procedures come with risks and potential complications.

This is why your doctor needs to brief you on potential complications and preventive measures to ensure your safety before and after the procedure.

Types of Weight Loss Surgery

There are various weight loss surgeries to choose from, depending on how much fat needs to be removed and any other health conditions you might be facing.

Gastric sleeve

In this procedure, around 80% of the stomach is surgically removed, leaving individuals with a tube-shaped organ roughly the size of a banana.

This drastically reduces the amount of food you can eat and may also help you feel fuller more quickly to promote weight loss.

Gastric sleeve surgery can also have an impact on hunger hormones, which may help reduce and control appetite.

One of the benefits of this surgery is that no foreign objects are inserted into the body, which lowers the chances of complications.

However, a gastric sleeve procedure increases your risk of vitamin and nutrient deficiencies because you’ll eat much less.

Gastric bypass surgery (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass)

During this procedure, a small pouch is created in the stomach and connected directly to the small intestine.

This then bypasses a large part of the stomach and duodenum — the first part of the small intestine — helping to restrict the amount of food the stomach can hold.

With this surgery, individuals may experience rapid and significant weight loss, improvement in diabetes symptoms, and reduced appetite.

However, a gastric bypass also has a drastic impact on the body’s ability to absorb nutrients, which may lead to deficiencies.

Adjustable gastric banding

This procedure involves placing a gastric band around the upper part of the stomach to create a small pouch to hold food.

The size of the opening to the rest of the stomach can be adjusted by filling the band with saline, which is injected through a port inserted under the skin.

This reduces the size of the stomach and the amount of food it can hold, which can help you consume fewer calories. Over time, this can lead to weight loss.

An adjustable gastric band procedure is usually less invasive than other forms of surgery and more easily reversible, making it a popular solution.

However, keep in mind that you may experience slower weight loss compared to other procedures, and there is also a risk that the band may slip.

Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD/DS)

BPD/DS is a two-part procedure that begins with a sleeve gastronomy and then diverts food from the small intestine.

The duodenum is divided and part of the intestine is also bypassed, restricting the amount of food entering the stomach.

This step helps to promote significant long-term weight loss and an improvement in obesity-related conditions.

Like many weight loss surgeries, BPD/DS carries a significant risk of complications, such as nutritional deficiencies and the possible need for more intricate surgeries.

Intragastric balloon

This is a nonsurgical procedure that involves placing a saline-filled balloon in the stomach to help you feel fuller quicker.

The balloon is placed endoscopically — meaning it’s inserted into the body using a flexible tube equipped with a light and a camera — and can be removed after six months.

It’s a less invasive procedure and may be an effective way to lose weight for individuals who aren’t able to undergo other surgeries.

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How Do You Prepare for Weight Loss Surgery?

Preparing for weight loss surgery involves ensuring that you are physically and mentally ready to undergo the procedure. This can include things like:

• Medical evaluations: These comprehensive checkups are essential for assessing your health status, identifying potential risks, and ensuring the surgery would be effective for your condition.

• Nutritional counseling: Meeting with a dietitian to understand the dietary adjustments you might need to make before and after surgery can help you avoid any deficiencies and complications.

• Making lifestyle changes: Unhealthy lifestyle habits can heighten surgical risks and postoperative complications. Your doctor may recommend that you quit smoking, limit alcohol, and increase physical activity to prepare for the procedure.

Ensuring that you are well-prepared for your surgery can also make the recovery process easier and minimize the risk of complications.

What Should You Do After Weight Loss Surgery?

After your procedure, you’ll start your journey to a healthier lifestyle. While you recover from the surgery, you may be required to:

• Follow a phased diet that involves consuming liquid foods at first, before moving to soft foods, and then to solids to give your stomach time to adjust

• Learn to understand your stomach’s new hunger and fullness cues to avoid overeating

• Take prescribed vitamins and minerals to prevent nutritional deficiencies

• Gradually increase your physical exercise with activities like walking or yoga, as advised by your doctor

• Seek mental health support for any emotional or psychological challenges

• Adopting and maintaining a healthy diet rich in lean sources of protein, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains

• Setting realistic goals and timelines for sustainable, long-term weight loss

• Preparing for any bodily changes and how you’ll work to accept them

These strategies can help you navigate the recovery process with ease while reducing the risk of additional complications.

They can also help you create healthier habits to maintain the lifestyle needed for long-term weight loss.

When Should You Consult a Doctor about Weight Loss Surgery?

Consulting your doctor about surgery is essential if you are struggling with conditions like obesity or if traditional weight loss methods have not worked for you.

However, you'll need to provide evidence of your commitment to traditional methods and their lack of success despite your efforts.

You should also consider speaking to your doctor about weight loss surgery if:

• Your BMI is 40 or higher, and you haven’t been diagnosed with any overweight conditions

• Your BMI is between 35 and 39.9 with obesity-related health conditions

• You want to learn about the potential risks involved in weight loss surgery

• You are prepared to commit to lifelong dietary and lifestyle changes post-surgery

Once you’ve consulted your doctor, they will evaluate your health and discuss the best weight loss surgery options with you.

If they don’t recommend surgery, your doctor will suggest other weight loss methods — such as specific medications — that may be more effective than the ones you’ve tried before.

Where Can You Learn More About Maintaining a Healthy Weight?

If you’re looking for more information on these surgeries or want to learn about other ways to lose weight, LifeMD has got you covered.

We can connect you to a team of medical professionals who can provide guidance on strategies and prescribed medication — like Ozempic — to help you lose weight safely.

LifeMD offers clinical supervision, metabolic testing, and continuous support from licensed healthcare providers to aid you in losing weight and improving your overall health if you are prescribed a GLP-1 medication through our Weight Management Program.

Get started today.

Diana DaSilva, FNP-BC

Diana utilizes a straightforward and collaborative approach to healthcare. She believes in providing compassionate and honest insight and a judgment-free environment, which gives patients the greatest benefit in finding solutions to their health issues.

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