Weight-loss Surgeries
The Bariatric Center at Southwest Healthcare Inland Valley Hospital offers two weight-loss surgical procedures.
Gastric Sleeve
Also known as vertical sleeve gastrectomy, this innovative procedure is often chosen by potential weight-loss patients because it has fewer long-term risks and doesn't require any foreign objects to be placed inside the body. In this procedure, the surgeon removes part of the patient's stomach to create a long, slender sleeve shape.
Out-of-town patients also favor this procedure because of the minimal follow-up care required. Patients undergoing the sleeve procedure can typically expect a two-night stay in the hospital and the ability to return to a normal routine within one week of surgery. Sleeve patients who practice the principles of behavior change can expect, on average, to lose 60-70 percent of excess weight within two years of the surgery. Additionally, patients tend to have fewer long-term risks such as ulcers, hernias and nutritional deficiencies.
Gastric Bypass
In this procedure, the surgeon staples across the top portion of the stomach to create a very small stomach pouch. The surgeon then connects the new stomach pouch to the small intestine, bypassing some of the upper and more absorptive part of the small intestine. This reduces the amount of food eaten as well as decreases absorption of the food and calories consumed. Results vary but the average patient usually can expect to lose 50 to 90 percent of excess weight in 12 to 18 months after surgery.