What is it?

Bariatric surgery, often known as ‘weight loss surgery’, is a variety of procedures designed to help obese people lose weight. This is achieved by reducing the size of the patient’s stomach using a gastric band which gives a sensation of ‘feeling full’ when less food has been consumed. Other bariatric surgical procedures include sleeve gastrectomy’s which is the removal of a portion of the stomach. Gastric bypass surgery – re-routing the small intestine to a stomach pouch that is smaller than the original stomach is also a common procedure. Our clinic, based in Melbourne, is committed to performing safe and profession bariatric procedures on our patients so they can lose weight effectively and achieve their weight-loss goals.

How Does it Work?

A sleeve gastrectomy, (or gastric sleeve) is a bariatric procedure that involves reducing the volume of the stomach to 15% of its original size. This is achieved by surgically removing portions of the stomach. The stomach is then re-attached using sutures, staples or a combination of both of these methods. A stomach that has undergone this procedure has a reduced “bulge” typically seen in illustrations of most stomachs, and thus looks more tubular in shape. This decreased volume gives a sensation of feeling satiated after a meal, without eating excess quantities of food. This procedure is performed laparoscopically and cannot be reversed. Many patients have tremendous success, and can lose up to 30-50% of their body weight after this procedure when combined with diet and exercise best-practices. Typically, these sorts of results take 6-18 months depending on the patient.

WHO IS IT FOR?

The LAP-BAND® System is indicated for patients with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 35, or a BMI greater than 30 with weight related co-morbidities such as sleep apnoea, type 2 diabates and hypertension, among others.