Bariatric surgery is an option for individuals who are significantly overweight. When people consider weight loss surgery, however, they have to decide which of the different types of bariatric surgery is right for them.
Gastric Bypass
Gastric bypass is the most familiar of the different types of bariatric surgery. In this form of surgery, the stomach is separated, and one part is no longer used. A small portion of the stomach is then reattached to the intestine, and only small amounts of food can be absorbed.
Gastric Sleeve Surgery
The Bariatric Learning Center describes this weight loss surgery as a procedure in which a large portion of the stomach is moved, leaving patients a sleeve of stomach about the size and shape of a banana. Unlike gastric bypass, the intestines don't have to be rerouted and reattached.
Adjustable Gastric Banding
This is a less invasive form of bariatric surgery than gastric bypass. Instead of the stomach being cut, an adjustable band is laparoscopically placed in the stomach. The band can be tightened or loosened according to the patient's desires. Unlike gastric bypass, gastric banding is reversible if patients want to remove it.
Vertical Banded Gastroplasty
This type of bariatric surgery combines gastric bypass and gastric banding. Individuals have two stomachs after this procedure, with a smaller stomach within a larger one, according to the Bariatric Learning Center. Doctors place a row of staples in the upper portion of the stomach, making a smaller pocket for food absorption.
Biliopancreatic Bypass With a Duodenal Switch
This is the most complex of all the types of bariatric surgery. A resource from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases describes the process of this intricate surgery, stating that the lower portion of the stomach is removed and the remaining stomach creates a sleeve. The stomach is connected to the small intestine, bypassing the large intestine completely.
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