Weight Loss Procedures

While diet and exercise are vital to an overall healthy lifestyle sometimes, it’s not enough to lose unwanted weight or body fat, especially if you are considered severely obese. In fact, obesity is a progressive disease that is frustratingly resistant to long-term weight loss through diet and exercise.

At Beltre Bariatrics, we offer the latest weight loss procedures for your weight loss goals tailored around your unique health profile, including any existing conditions you may be living with.

If you are severely overweight, metabolic, or bariatric surgery, coupled with dietary and lifestyle changes and a dedicated support network, maybe the only way to reverse the damage done to the body by this progressive disease, allowing you to achieve true long-term weight loss and restoration of your health and well-being.

Weight Loss Procedure Options Available at Beltre Bariatrics

Dr. Beltre performs all forms of today’s advanced metabolic surgery options.

Each type of surgery effectively enables significant weight loss, and many of these options can now be performed laparoscopically and robotically, with less risk and discomfort than previous “stomach stapling” procedures.

Let’s explore our weight loss procedure options. 

Sleeve Gastrectomy

Also known as a “gastric sleeve” or “vertical sleeve gastrectomy,” the sleeve gastrectomy is a surgical procedure in which a majority of the stomach is removed to restrict food intake resulting in rapid and efficient weight loss.

The part of the stomach removed is called the fundus. The fundus functions stretching so that you can consume more without issue. The fundus also produces the hunger hormone ghrelin. Therefore, after a gastric sleeve there is good control of portions and hunger.

The sleeve gastrectomy is a metabolic procedure. Removing the fundus causes your body to release certain hormones that regulate your metabolism leading to rapid weight loss and quick remission of certain illnesses like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea.

It is important to recognize that the gastric sleeve is the most popular procedure worldwide and the weight loss surgery performed most often by bariatric surgeons. With that being said, the gastric band is not being done very often anymore and most bariatric surgeons in the United States are not offering the gastric band as an option for weight loss surgery.

Learn More About Sleeve Gastrectomy

Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band (LAGB)

LAGB is the least invasive form of weight loss surgery and does not involve permanent alterations to the size and shape of the stomach or intestines. During gastric band surgery, an adjustable band is placed around the top of the stomach to gradually reduce food intake.

The downside to LAGB is that there is a higher rate of weight regain, lack of weight loss, and long term complications directly caused by the band.

Learn More About Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band

Gastric Bypass

This procedure involves dividing the stomach into two parts using surgical staples. First, the small intestine is divided. Then, the lower part of the intestine is attached to the small, upper portion of the stomach. By bypassing the main stomach a profound decrease in the hunger hormone ghrelin occurs thus controlling appetite.

The gastric bypass procedure facilitates weight loss in two different but complementary ways. First, by controlling portion size and suppressing the appetite. Second, your body will absorb fewer calories because the food passes through less of the intestine.

Learn More About Gastric Bypass

Biliopancreatic Diversion (BPD)

A biliopancreatic diversion is an aggressive form of metabolic surgery that is best for chronic or long standing type 2 diabetes where patients are already taking insulin and various pills to control it.

BPD is a malabsorptive surgery that works by limiting the amount of energy your body can absorb from food. It involves removing the lower two-thirds of the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine, where most digestion usually occurs.

The BPD is best described as a combination of the gastric sleeve and gastric bypass. A gastric sleeve is created and the upper half or 50% of the upper intestines called jejunum is bypassed so that food now travels from the stomach (sleeve) straight into the bottom half of the intestines called ileum.

According to the hind gut theory, when food is introduced directly into the ileum there is a robust release of metabolic hormones causing even more prolonged and sustained weight loss and better appetite control than the sleeve or bypass alone.

Learn More About Biliopancreatic Diversion (BPD)

Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch (BPD/DS)

This procedure is both malabsorptive and restrictive, limiting your food intake and decreasing the amount of energy the body absorbs from food.

BPD, with or without DS, requires a lifetime commitment to regular intake of vitamin supplements and a high-protein, low-fat diet to diminish the risk of nutritional and vitamin deficiencies.

Learn More About Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch (BPD/DS)

Revision

There are rare instances when a revision procedure must be performed to correct a previous weight loss procedure. However, the most common reason for revision surgery is weight gain.

Learn More About Revision Surgery

What diseases can weight loss procedures help with?

There are various health risks brought on by obesity, including:

• Hypertension
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Acid Reflux
• Arthritic Joints
• High Blood Pressure
• Sleep Apnea
• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Individuals suffering from severe obesity and other related health risks often remain locked in a fruitless cycle of temporary weight loss, relapse, and even additional weight gain without altering the metabolic problems that undermine their health and quality of life.

Not only will weight loss surgery help with this vicious cycle, but it will also help regulate conditions and diseases associated with it.

At Beltre Bariatrics, we offer a proven, multi-faceted approach to effective weight loss procedures that will empower you to achieve your weight loss goals, improve your health and appearance, and rebuild your self-confidence.