There are two ways the gastrointestinal tract can be altered to cause weight loss. The stomach can be made smaller so that a person feels full after eating less food. The second mechanism is bypassing a portion of the intestines that the food comes in contact with. As a result, you don’t absorb all of the calories that you eat, thus malabsorption occurs. Different operations use these two mechanisms in various ways. Some operations are pure gastric restrictive procedures. Many combine gastric restriction with moderate malabsorption. It is important to realize that there is no perfect operation, therefore we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of all potential procedures with our patients, be it gastric bypass surgery, the LAP-BAND® System or another procedure. Together we can decide which best addresses your particular needs.
