Suburban Surgical Associates/Suburban Metabolic Institute
General Surgeons located in Berwyn, IL, Elmhurst, IL & La Grange, IL
Our physicians at Suburban Surgical Associates/Suburban Metabolic Institute believe in approaching obesity as a chronic disease, which necessitates long-term, multidisciplinary treatments. However, when your health and self-esteem suffer, and you can make long-term lifestyle changes to benefit your health, bariatric surgery might be the best option for you. Our surgeons have developed comprehensive weight-management programs in conjunction with bariatricians, dieticians, psychologists, and other health care providers to help create the best treatment plan for you. If you have questions about weight loss surgery, please call one of our offices in Berwyn, La Grange, or Elmhurst, Illinois, or request a consultation online.
Bariatric Surgery Q & A
What is bariatric surgery?
Bariatric surgery promotes weight loss and improvement in obesity-related comorbid diseases and conditions by surgically changing your stomach or small intestine. There are several types of bariatric surgery that affect these changes through several mechanisms, including:
- Restriction: limiting food intake by reducing the size of your stomach
- Malabsorption: bypasses a portion of the normal gastrointestinal tract to alter the course of digestion and limit food absorption
- Metabolic: altering the neurohormonal pathways to alter hunger, cravings, satiety, appetite, and blood sugar control to support weight loss
What are the benefits of bariatric surgery?
Bariatric surgery can lead to dramatic weight loss, with most patients losing 40-80% of their excess body weight over about 1-2 years. The amount of weight you may lose depends on variables like the type of bariatric surgery performed, your weight before surgery, and your dedication to following diet and exercise recommendations after surgery.
Weight loss surgery also improves chronic health conditions caused by obesity, such as:
- Type 2 diabetes
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Heart disease
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Osteoarthritis
Numerous studies demonstrate the benefits of bariatric surgery in improving some of these conditions make it as effective, if not more effective than some of the treatments you are already on. In fact, for people with type II diabetes, bariatric surgery may be your best chance at obtaining long-term remission without having to be on medications.
Who is a candidate for bariatric surgery?
Your doctor performs a complete physical examination and talks with you about your weight loss history to determine if bariatric surgery is the best option for you. You may be a candidate if you meet the following:
- Unable to lose or sustain weight loss with prior efforts to diet and exercise
- Open to education and changing one’s approach to diet, nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle
- Body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above or you’re more than 100 pounds overweight.
- BMI of 35 or more with at least one obesity-related health condition
- BMI of 30 or more with one obesity-related problem – eligible for gastric band only
What types of bariatric surgery are available?
The physicians at Suburban Surgical Associates/Suburban Metabolic Institute offer several types of weight loss surgeries. They do all of these laparoscopically, which minimizes your recovery time and allows you to return to your normal activities quickly.
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
Your stomach is stapled to create two compartments, leaving an upper pouch that’s smaller and limits the amount of food you can eat. Then the upper part of the small intestine is bypassed, reducing the number of calories absorbed into your body.
Gastric sleeve or sleeve gastrectomy
About 80% of your stomach is removed, leaving a sleeve-shaped stomach. That not only limits the amount of food you can eat significantly but also reduces production of hormones that signal hunger, appetite, and cravings to help you lose weight.
Lap Band or adjustable gastric band
An adjustable band is placed around the upper portion of your stomach, creating a small pouch to receive food above the band, while leaving the remainder of the stomach below the band
How do I learn more about bariatric surgery and what are the next steps?
If you want to learn more about bariatric surgery and our program, we strongly recommend signing up for one of our free informational seminars. Our surgeons will give an overview of obesity, go into detail about the indications and types of surgeries we offer, and take time to answer any questions you may have.
If you have further questions, you can speak with Anna or Erica, our bariatric coordinators, by calling one of the location numbers below.
Click here to read Dr. Choh’s article on the Healthy Driven Chicago website.