Bariatric Surgery Specialist
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General & Minimally Invasive Surgery
Bariatric & General Surgery located in Tomball, TX & Houston, TX
For some people with severe weight problems, nothing they try seems to shed the extra pounds. If your health is at risk because of your weight, Harvinderpal Singh, MD, FACS, and Viet Phuong, MD, FACS, of General & Minimally Invasive Surgery in Tomball, Texas, can help. They provide advanced, minimally invasive bariatric surgery for those whose excess weight presents a significant health risk. Find out how you could benefit from bariatric surgery by calling the General & Minimally Invasive Surgery office or booking an appointment online today.
Bariatric Surgery Q & A
What is bariatric surgery?
Bariatric surgery is a proven technique that allows people struggling with obesity to achieve long-lasting weight loss.
Bariatric surgery isn’t a substitute for losing weight through diet and exercise. In most cases, medically managed weight loss programs that focus on healthy diets, consuming fewer calories, and getting more exercise can successfully achieve sustainable weight loss.
However, some people still have difficulty losing weight even with the additional support of behavioral therapy and prescription appetite suppressants. If you’re one of them, bariatric surgery could be the life-changing solution to your weight loss challenges.
Who can have bariatric surgery?
Bariatric surgery is a major, and in many cases, irreversible procedure. Therefore, you need to meet certain criteria to be considered a suitable candidate.
Your body mass index (BMI) is the primary concern. This equation uses your height and weight to calculate whether you are obese. If your BMI is 40 or above, you’re likely to be eligible for bariatric surgery. You might also qualify if you have a BMI of 35-40 and a serious condition like Type 2 diabetes or heart disease.
The other qualifying requirement for bariatric surgery is a commitment to the process, which typically means you need to show you can follow a healthy eating plan before undergoing surgery.
What type of bariatric surgery might I need?
General & Minimally Invasive Surgery performs several different bariatric procedures, including:
Gastric bypass
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is sometimes called the gold standard in bariatric surgery because it’s the most effective of the options. Your surgeon removes around 80% of your stomach to leave an egg-sized pouch, which they attach to your small intestine.
A gastric bypass limits how much food you can eat and reduces the number of calories your body can absorb.
Sleeve gastrectomy
Sleeve gastrectomy (gastric sleeve surgery) also involves removing a significant portion of your stomach, leaving you with a pouch or sleeve that’s roughly the size of a banana.
In addition to being unable to eat so much, sleeve gastrectomy also reduces your appetite. This is because the section of stomach your surgeon removes affects the production of a hormone, ghrelin, which stimulates your appetite.
LAP-BAND®
A LAP-BAND is an adjustable gastric banding system that limits the amount of food your stomach can hold. The LAP-BAND system is adjustable, fully reversible, and the least invasive form of weight loss surgery.
General & Minimally Invasive Surgery uses minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques to perform bariatric surgery. They may also use robotic-assisted systems to optimize the procedure.
To find out if bariatric surgery is the right choice for you, call General & Minimally Invasive Surgery or book an appointment online today.
