Currently, there are eight recognized types of bariatric surgeries performed in hi-tech hospitals in the United States. The kind of bariatric surgery procedure to be adopted depends on the person's medical history and current medical condition. The bariatric surgeon weighs the advantages and disadvantages of each procedure and decides on the best one to be performed on a person.
There are basically three types of bariatric surgery procedures: restrictive, malabsorptive, and combined malabsorptive and restrictive procedures. In the restrictive procedure, the food intake is restricted by decreasing the size of the stomach. This is done using an elastic band or surgical staples that are attached to the upper part of the stomach. Owing to the reduced size of the stomach opening, even small amounts of food cause a feeling of fullness. Restrictive bariatric surgery procedures include vertical-banded gastroplasty, proximal gastric bypass, and adjustable gastric banding.
Malabsorptive procedures rely on incomplete absorption of food for reducing body weight. Incidentally, Jejunoileal bypass, the first ever bariatric surgery performed, used this principle. In this procedure, the upper and lower regions of the small intestine were connected so that food could bypass the middle section. A large portion of the food is thus left unabsorbed. However, surgeons do not use this procedure owing to possible complications such as diarrhea and dehydration.
Both restrictive and malabsorptive procedures have their share of complications. Surgeons, therefore, combine elements of both procedures to decrease complications on the body's digestive functions. Regardless of the type of bariatric surgery procedure employed, a patient takes at least six weeks to recover. Until then, the patient has to rely on liquid diets. The level of bodily activity has to be reduced to a bare minimum. Recent advancements in surgery techniques have helped speedup the recovery process. Most state-of-the-art techniques employed today rely less on abdominal incisions. The complications associated with bariatric surgery are therefore on the decrease.
