Definition of Bariatric surgery

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Bariatric surgery: Surgery on the stomach and/or intestines to help a person with extreme obesity lose weight. Bariatric surgery is an option for people who have a body mass index (BMI) above 40. Surgery is also an option for people with a BMI between 35 and 40 who have health problems like type 2 diabetes or heart disease.

There are two main types of bariatric surgery, adjustable gastric banding and gastric bypass. In adjustable gastric banding, insertion of a band restricts the size of the opening from the esophagus to the stomach. The size of the opening to the stomach determines the amount of food that can be eaten. The size of the opening can be controlled by the surgeon by inflating or deflating the band through a port that is implanted beneath the skin on the abdomen. The band can be removed at any time.

In contrast to gastric banding, gastric bypass (sometimes referred to as roux-en-Y gastric bypass) is a permanent reduction in the size of the stomach. The proximal portion of the stomach is used to create an egg-sized pouch that is connected to the intestine in a location that bypasses about 2 feet of normal intestine. The amount of food that can be eaten is limited by the size of the pouch and the size of the opening between the pouch and the intestine.