Bariatric … Gastrectomy … Laparoscopic … Weight-loss surgery has a language of its own. To help our patients, potential patients and family members feel more comfortable with the terminology we use, we offer this mini-glossary:
Bariatrics — the branch of medicine that deals with the causes, prevention and treatment of obesity.
Gastrectomy — surgical removal of all or part of the stomach.
Laparoscopic Surgery — also known as minimally invasive surgery; a technique that allows surgery to be performed without the long traditional incision. By using multiple small incisions, each a few centimeters long, the surgeon inserts instruments including a tiny camera. The camera allows the surgeon to visualize the surgery. Incisions are made through the skin, muscle and other tissue, making laparoscopic surgery safer as less tissue is cut.
SILS — stand for Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery. New York Bariatric Group surgeons are among a select group in the country now offering SILS, which is performed through a single incision hidden in the belly button. This results in much quicker recovery and almost scarless surgery. Ask your doctor if you are a candidate for the new SILS technique.
Gastric Bypass — a surgical operation that typically involves reducing the size of the stomach and reconnecting the smaller stomach to bypass the first portion of the small intestine to restrict food intake and reduce caloric absorption in cases of severe obesity.
Adjustable Lap Band Surgery – In this procedure, an inflatable silicone device is placed around the top portion of the stomach, creating a small pouch and a narrow passage into the larger remainder of the stomach. The band is then inflated with a salt solution. It can be tightened or loosened over time to change the size of the passage by increasing or decreasing the amount of salt solution. The system helps the patient eat less by limiting the amount of food that can be eaten at one time and increasing the time it takes for food to be digested.
Sleeve Gastrectomy — In this procedure, the stomach is converted from a 1200 cc muscular reservoir into a 120 cc muscular tube shaped like a banana. The extra portion of stomach is removed. With most of the stomach removed, large amounts of food simply cannot be eaten, since there very little stomach left to collect it.
Endoflip — a new device that can be used as an adjunct in the operating room to achieve immediate proper adjustment at the time of insertion of the adjustable lap band. The endoflip is inserted into the stomach after the band is placed. Once the band is in position, the band is adjusted in the operating room, while the endoflip gives immediate feedback about how tight the band is becoming as saline is added. Using the endoflip, the surgeon can adjust the band so when patients leave the operating room, the band is properly adjusted. Hitting the “sweet spot” from the day of surgery, jump starts a patient’s weight loss.
Rose Procedure — an incision-less surgical procedure that restores the size of the stomach pouch and stoma (the connection between the pouch and small intestine) close to the original post-surgery proportions for patients whose stomach pouch or stoma may have stretched out in the years since their original surgery.
We hope this introduction of terms increases your comfort level in discussing the options available to you. We invite you to scan back to the top of this web page and click on the “Live Chat” button.
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