Weight Loss Procedures

Each year, about 200,000 men and women undergo weight loss surgery to help them lose weight that simply won’t be removed through diet and exercise alone. Weight loss surgery is usually reserved for men and women who are significantly overweight, most commonly those with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher. In some cases, patients with lower BMIs may also be eligible for weight loss surgery if they have a serious obesity-related medical condition, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea or type 2 diabetes.

At Florida Surgical Physicians, Dr. Michael Baptista offers the three most popular, most effective and safest weight loss surgery options:

Non-surgical Weight Loss with the Gastric Balloon

The intra-gastric balloon is a Non-Surgical approach for weight loss. It was approved by the FDA in 2015. It is placed by means of upper endoscopy, similar to endoscopy used to evaluate if someone has an ulcer or gastritis. It is mostly done as an out-patient procedure, meaning that patients will go home shortly after placement. Learn more about weight loss balloon »

Gastric Bypass Surgery

In gastric bypass surgery, your stomach is reduced in size and then attached directly to the middle portion of your small intestine. The upper portion of your small intestine is bypassed, which means a lot of the calories you consume pass through your body without being absorbed, resulting in significant weight loss. As a result, gastric bypass surgery falls under a category of weight loss surgery called malabsorptive. Learn more about gastric bypass surgery »

Lap Band Surgery

Also called gastric band surgery, this technique uses an adjustable band placed around the upper portion of your stomach to decrease its size. The band is attached to a thin tube that’s connected to a specially designed injection port located under your skin. Your doctor will use the port to adjust the size of your stomach, injecting saline solution through the tube and into the band to shrink your stomach or removing solution to increase its size. Lap band surgery has the advantage of being reversible. Learn more about LAP-BAND surgery »

Gastric Sleeve Surgery

In this procedure, a large portion of your stomach is removed, leaving a banana-shaped tube or “sleeve”-shaped stomach. Gastric sleeve surgery works by decreasing the size of your stomach as well as decreasing production of the hormones that make you feel hunger.  Learn more about gastric sleeve surgery »

Both lap band surgery and gastric sleeve surgery are considered restrictive techniques because they help you achieve weight loss by restricting the size of the stomach as well as the amount of food you’re able to consume. Your weight loss surgeon will help you understand your options and which approach is best for your needs and your lifestyle.

For More Information on Weight Loss Surgery.

For more information on bariatric surgery, or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Baptista, please contact Florida Surgical Physicians today.