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Which weight loss surgery is right for you? Gastric bypass? The band? The sleeve?

If you're thinking about weight loss surgery, you may have learned there is more than one operation to consider. Drs. Howard Simon and Taewan Kim are the most experienced surgeons performing weight loss surgery in Central New York. They are featured in the spring issue of "Upstate Health" magazine, explaining the different types of surgery.

Surgeons at Upstate tailor weight loss surgery to individual patients, but of the three main operations, the gastric bypass is most popular. It allows patients to lose the most weight.

Illustration of internal organs by Susan Keeter

Illustration by Susan Keeter.


The bypass

How it is done: A small pouch is fashioned from the stomach and connected to a section of small intestine, so food bypasses part of the small intestine.

What the surgery does: The stomach is made smaller, thus limiting the amount of food that can be eaten at once. You feel full sooner and stay full longer. And, your body absorbs fewer calories because the food passes through a shorter small intestine. The stomach and intestine remnants, which are left inside, continue to function hormonally.

How you lose weight: You eat less, so your body uses fat for energy.

Average percent of body weight lost: 62 percent

band

Illustration by Susan Keeter.


The band

How it is done: A band wraps around the upper part of the stomach, creating a pouch about ¼-cup in size. The band can be periodically adjusted.

What the surgery does:  The stomach is made smaller, thus limiting the amount of food that can be eaten at once. You feel full sooner and stay full longer.

How you lose weight: You eat less, so your body uses fat for energy.

Average percent of body weight lost: 43 percent

sleeve

Illustration by Susan Keeter.


The sleeve

How it is done: Part of the stomach is removed, leaving behind a stomach about the size of a banana.

What the surgery does: The stomach is made smaller, thus limiting the amount of food that can be eaten at once. You feel full sooner and stay full longer.

How you lose weight: You eat less, so your body uses fat for energy.

Average percent of body weight lost: 55 percent.

Other Benefits

Most patients who lose weight through surgery see an improvement in their quality of life and live longer. Surgery has been shown to resolve:

Type 2 diabetes

High cholesterol

High blood pressure

Migraines

Depression

Obstructive sleep apnea

Asthma

Gastroesophageal reflux disease

Polycystic ovarian syndrome

Urinary stress incontinence

Osteoarthritis

Gout

Upstate is a 'high volume' center for weight loss surgery


An hour-long radio show was devoted to weight loss surgery in January. Listen to archived podcasts of all of the interviews without leaving your home, on Health Link on Air.

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