Procedures We Do Not Offer

The bariatric surgeons at Newton-Wellesley Hospital's Center for Weight Loss Surgery perform hundreds of gastric bypass surgeries a year, with an excellent overall success rate. The primary weight loss procedure performed at our facility is the Gastric Bypass Surgery, considered by many to be the current gold standard procedure for weight loss surgery. It is one of the most frequently performed weight loss procedures in the United States.

Gastric Band Surgery

Laparoscopic Gastric Bands (lap bands) is a restrictive weight loss procedure. A band is placed around the top part of the stomach, separating the stomach into one small and one large portion. The band can be adjusted to increase or decrease restriction, surgery can be reversed and digestion and absorption are normal. This procedure is not offered at the Center for Weight Loss Surgery. The Center does perform Laparoscopic Removal of Adjustable Gastric Band and Laparoscopic Conversion of Adjustable Gastric Band to Sleeve Gastrectomy or to Gastric Bypass.

Vertical Banded Gastroplasty

Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG) is a purely restrictive procedure. In this procedure, the upper stomach near the esophagus is stapled about 2.5 inches (6 cm) vertically to create a smaller stomach pouch. The outlet from the pouch is restricted by a band or ring that slows the emptying of the food and creates the feeling of fullness.

Advantages

• The major advantage of this restrictive procedure is that a reduced amount of well-chewed food enters and passes through the digestive tract in the usual order. This allows nutrients and vitamins, as well as calories, to be fully absorbed into the body.

• After 10 years, studies show that patients can maintain 50 percent of their targeted excess weight loss.

Risks

• After surgery there is always the risk that stomach stapling can result in staple-line disruption causing leakage and/or serious infection. This can require prolonged hospitalization with antibiotic treatment and/or additional operations.

• Staple-line disruption in the long term can also lead to weight gain. Surgeons will sometimes divide the staple-line wall of the pouch from the rest of the stomach to reduce the risk of long-term, staple-line disruption.

• The band or ring applied can lead to complications of obstruction or perforation, requiring surgical intervention.

• While the surgery often creates a sense of fullness, it usually does not provide the necessary feeling of satisfaction that one has had "enough" to eat.

• Because restrictive procedures completely rely on a small stomach pouch to reduce food intake, there is the risk of the pouch stretching or the restricting band or ring at the pouch outlet breaking or moving, therefore allowing patients to eat too much.

• Approximately 40 percent of patients undergoing these procedures have lost less than half their excess body weight.

• As is the case with all weight loss surgeries, readmission to a hospital may be required for fluid replacement or nutritional support if there is excessive vomiting and adequate food intake cannot be maintained.

This procedure is not offered at the Center for Weight Loss Surgery.