Restrictive Procedures

As the name would indicate, restrictive bariatric procedures help you lose weight by restricting the amount of food taken in.

During the procedure, a pouch is created similar to the pouch created in the Roux-en-Y procedure. However, unlike the malabsorptive procedures, restrictive procedures do not interfere or bypass the normal process of the stomach or intestines, so absorption is not affected.

In these procedures, which are usually conducted using laparascopic surgery with small incisions, the surgeon places a band around the stomach to create a small stomach pouch that holds a very small amount of food - as little as one ounce. You must follow a prescribed diet after the procedure, eventually working your way back to a normal diet.

This procedure is effective only if you adjust your diet and food intake to reduce calories taken in. Although less invasive than gastric bypass, this procedure may not be as effective in producing the significant weight-loss outcomes of gastric bypass.

Gastric banding or LAP-BAND® (including the REALIZE Band)
Gastric banding or LAP-BAND procedures involve placing an adjustable band around the upper stomach to create a small pouch, which limits food intake and increases the time food is in the intestines. The band can be adjusted after surgery. Generally, weight-loss results with gastric banding will be less than with bypass procedures, but involve less invasive surgery.

Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (Gastric Sleeve)
The vertical sleeve gastrectomy procedure involves removing a significant portion (up to 85%) of the stomach by creating a "sleeve," which reduces food intake by making the patient feel full much sooner. This procedure also moves food into the small intestine much sooner. The vertical sleeve does not affect or bypass the small intestines, so all food that is eaten is digested and absorbed, but because intake is drastically restricted, many fewer calories are absorbed.  It is a less-invasive option for patients who may opt not to undergo the banding procedure or the gastric bypass.

StomaphyX®
Used primarily for revision to reduce the size of a stomach pouch that has been stretched after a previous bariatric surgery procedure, StomaphyX® is performed intra-orally (through the mouth). The surgeon inserts the StomaphyX® device into the stomach and suctions small sections into the device to place sutures, which creates a small flap. By performing this procedure 10 to 20 times within the stomach pouch, the overall size of the stomach is reduced, which causes you to eat less and feel full sooner.