When you are navigating the world of weight loss surgery, it is important to understand the different types of surgeries that are offered, as well as which one will benefit you the most. Below is a brief description of some of the weight loss surgeries that are offered, as well as what they do.

Types of Weight Loss Surgeries

To begin, some of the more popular weight loss surgeries are called Restrictive Surgeries. These surgeries entail the shrinking of the physical size of your stomach and as a result, your digestion is slowed down. When the stomach size is shrunken, the less you can eat. After surgery, your stomach can hold about 2 to 3 ounces of food, instead of the usual 3 pints. Another form of weight loss surgery is called Malabsorptive Surgery. This type of surgery is more popularly known as Gastric Bypass, which works by removing parts of the intestine and creating shorter pathways for your food to be digested. As fewer calories are absorbed into the body, the more weight you lose. The next type of weight loss surgery is Adjustable Gastric Banding, which is a type of restrictive surgery. With this surgery, a a surgeon will use an inflatable band which squeezes and divides the stomach into two sections. Your stomach will consist of two small pouches, an upper and a lower. These pouches will be connected through a small channel and as a result, this channel will empty the upper pouch, but at a much slower rate. You will only be able to eat a small amount of food before feeling full or sick; usually between a half a cup or one cup of food. Another form of weight loss surgery is a Duodenal Switch, which consists of both a Sleeve Gastrectomy and Gastric Bypass. A surgeon will remove part of the stomach in order to place a sleeve. Additionally, there is also the Gastric Balloon. This non-surgical option utilizes a balloon to temporarily take up space in your stomach in order to trigger feelings of fullness so you can eat less and lose weight more rapidly. Lastly, a LAP-BAND is a less invasive treatment that is highly effective in treating obesity. This procedure places a silicone band around part of the stomach in order to reduce the size of your stomach, limiting the amount of food able to consume.

What Are Your Goals?

Depending on your goals, the best choice of weight loss surgery will vary. Goals will vary from individual to individual and you may have specific goals in mind for your weight loss. It is also important to specify how much weight you’d like to lose, as well as how much weight your doctor suggests, in order to tailor your expectations and set clear goals for yourself.

Some goals to keep in mind are what you want as far as long-term results. Are you exclusively looking to purely get thin and lean as a result of your weight loss surgery? Or are you looking to build muscles and tone your body? It is also important to take into account how much you currently weigh and how much you will need to lose in order to obtain those desired results.

As you hone in on your goals, it is important to know which type of weight loss may suit you best. Not only that, but any preexisting conditions will also play a factor in which surgery will be best for you. For instance, Gastric Bypass surgery may be better for those who already have severer acid reflux, high BMI’s, and diabetes. Gastric bypass is also known to lose 10-20 more pounds than by using a Sleeve Gastrectomy. A Sleeve Gastrectomy, or Adjustable Gastric Banding, as mentioned above, is great for those who have previously had multiple abdominal surgeries, weigh more than 450-500 pounds, are high-risk for surgery, and are on medications for psychiatric illness. A Duodenal Switch is good for those individuals with severe obesity, those who are good at following doctor’s orders, and have severe metabolic disease.

Weight Loss Surgeon in California

If you have any more questions about weight loss surgery, we here at LAP-BAND Los Angeles are here to assist you! Dr. Davtyan has over 30 years of experience and is equipped with the knowledge, experience, and expertise to assist you with your weight loss journey.