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Bariatric Surgery in Gainesville

A Guide to Getting Weight Loss Surgery in Gainesville, Florida

The popularity of bariatric (weight loss) surgery has soared in recent years. One study found that the number of bariatric surgeries increased five-fold between the period of 1998 to 2006. The study, published in the journal Health Matters, stated that there were 71,733 bariatric surgeries performed in the U.S. in 2002, a significant increase from the 13,386 surgeries performed in 1998.

By 2004, the number of bariatric surgeries in the U.S. had increased to a staggering 140,000, more than ten times the 1998 figure. This year, in 2008, there will probably be more than 200,000 of these surgeries performed in the United States.

Why are there so many more bariatric surgery procedures today than a few years ago? Several reasons, really:

• Greater Need - Today, there are many more obese Americans in the United States than there were in the past. Sadly, these numbers tend to increase with each passing year. The number of obese people in the United States continues to increase, year after year. Today it is estimated that 30% of the American population is obese by medical standards. It's only logical that this has something to do with the increased number of bariatric surgery cases in Florida each year (and across the nation).
• Greater Coverage - If you do a Google search for a phrase like "bariatric surgery Florida" and then scroll through the resulting pages, you'll find hundreds of news stories, articles and blog posts. Weight loss surgery is also frequently covered by television and print media, in Florida and elsewhere across the U.S. This has further fueled the growth of bariatric surgery in Gainesville.
• More Options - Additionally, there is a wider variety of surgical procedures today than there were ten years ago. If you wanted weight loss surgery in the past, it basically meant you would have a gastric bypass. There were few other options. These days, however, patients considering a bariatric surgery in Gainesville have more options available to them, such as the gastric banding procedures that are increasingly popular (discussed below).

Of course, the thing to remember here is that weight loss surgery is still surgery, in the sense that it has certain potential risks associated with it. As such, it requires thorough research and careful consideration from the potential patient who is considering the surgery. That's where this tutorial on Gainesville weight loss surgery comes into the picture. We have created this guide to help you in your research process.

With all that being said, let's talk about the many aspects of bariatric surgery in Florida, starting with some basic definitions that you should understand.

What Is Bariatric Surgery?

Let's kick off our discussion of bariatric weight-loss surgery in Gainesville with some basic definitions. In medical terms, the field of "bariatrics" deals with the causes, treatment and prevention of obesity.

So by extension, the various types of bariatric surgery all have the same goal — to help reduce the body weight of obese individuals. "Weight loss surgery" and "obesity surgery" are also used to describe these types of procedures. You'll notice I mentioned the types of surgery (plural). As we discussed at the beginning of this article, there are more options today than ever before for people considering bariatric surgery. We will talk about some of these below.

Criteria for Weight Loss Surgery in Gainesville

For the most part, bariatric surgeons in Gainesville will follow a pre-defined set of criteria for bariatric surgery. This helps the surgeon determine whether or not a person is a candidate for a weight loss surgery procedure. While each surgeon in Gainesville may have his or her own set of "rules," the following criteria will usually apply:

• The candidate has attempted (and documented) other methods of weight loss, such as dietary changes, exercise programs, etc. But these programs did not reduce the person’s weight below the obesity level.
• The candidate is severely obese with a body mass index (BMI) for 40 or greater.
• The candidate's daily life is hampered by obesity, rendering them unable to perform routine tasks and activities.

In addition to the basic criteria outlined above, it's also important for potential patients to understand the risks associated with bariatric surgery, as well as the life changes that will result in such a surgery.

Bariatric Surgery Options

In order to choose the type of bariatric surgery that's best for you, you'll need to understand the basics of how each procedure works. Here are the most common forms of bariatric weight-loss surgery available in the Gainesville area:

• Gastric Bypass - When you mention weight loss surgery, many people automatically think of the gastric bypass procedure. That's because for many years, this was one of the only options patients had for bariatric surgery in Gainesville (or elsewhere). During a gastric bypass, a small section of the patient's stomach is stapled off creating a small upper "pouch." The larger, lower portion of the stomach is thereby rendered unusable. This decreases the patient's stomach capacity, which in turn leads to weight loss. [learn more + view diagram]
• Adjustable Gastric Band - This is a band that goes around the upper part of the stomach. It is inserted through small laparoscopic incisions, and when fully inserted it creates a small "pouch" in the upper stomach (similar to the one described in the gastric bypass definition above). [view diagram] Gastric banding is a newer form of bariatric surgery, and many Gainesville surgeons have begun to specialize in this type of surgery. Popular forms of gastric banding are the LAP-BAND ® System made by Allergan, and the Realize Band made by a Johnson & Johnson company.
• Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG) - The procedure actually combines certain aspects of both the gastric bypass and the banding procedures described above. A vertical banded gastroplasty uses both stomach staples and banding to achieve the weight loss effect. Like the other forms of bariatric surgery, the VBG achieves results by creating a "stomach within a stomach." In other words, it creates a small "pouch" from the upper portion of the stomach, thus reducing the patient's stomach capacity. [view diagram]
• Gastric Sleeve Surgery - The gastric sleeve procedure involves the surgical removal of a significant portion of the stomach — 60% or more. The portion of the stomach that remains resembles the size and shape of a banana (or a sleeve, hence the name gastric sleeve surgery). Unlike the traditional gastric bypass surgery, the gastric sleeve / laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy does not require re-routing of intestines or implantation of an artificial device in the abdomen.

After Your Surgery

Life after weight loss surgery will be different in many ways than life before the surgery. For one thing (and perhaps most obviously), your eating habits will change significantly. Whether you choose to undergo a stomach banding procedure, a gastric bypass surgery, or other form of surgery, the end-result will essentially be the same — reduced stomach capacity. This means that overeating is out.

Depending on the type of surgery you have, your Gainesville surgeon may recommend vitamin and mineral supplements following your surgery. For example, the gastric bypass is considered a malabsorptive type of bariatric surgery, because after their surgeries patients cannot absorb certain vitamins and minerals from their foods as readily as they did before surgery.

Recovery times will also vary depending on the type of bariatric surgery you undergo. For example, a gastric bypass surgery usually requires a longer recovery period than a gastric banding surgery (such as those using the popular LAP-BAND System).

When talking about recovery times, you could further distinction between types of gastric bypass surgery. Some gastric bypass surgeries are performed in laparoscopic fashion, with smaller incisions and shorter recovery times (a 2 or 3-day hospital stay, for example). But these surgeries can also be performed in "open" fashion, which requires larger incisions and, generally speaking, a longer recovery period.

Gastric banding procedures (also known as belly bands) have become increasingly popular due to their relatively shorter recovery period. Many patients of banding surgery are able to leave the hospital after a 24-hour observation period.

Here's the bottom line. All patients are different, and all surgeries are different. These variables affect the length of recovery after weight loss surgery, so it's important to talk to your Gainesville surgeon about these things before making a final decision about (A) which type of procedure you want to pursue and (B) which bariatric surgeon in Gainesville is right for you.

And speaking of surgeon selection, that's our next topic...

Choosing a Gainesville Bariatric Surgeon

Gainesville, Florida has a city population well over 100,000 people, and a metro area population near a quarter-million. Because of this, there are quite a few weight loss surgeons in the Gainesville area. Not as many in say, Jacksonville or Miami, but enough that you will have options when choosing a Gainesville bariatric surgeon.

Here are some key points to consider when selecting a bariatric / weight loss surgeon in the Gainesville, Florida area:

• Surgery Experience -- There is no substitute for hands-on surgical experience when it comes to developing skill and expertise. So this is obviously a question you'll want to ask surgeons. Find out how long they've been doing bariatric surgery, how many surgeries performed, etc.
• Patient Success Rate -- While general experience is certainly important, success is even more so. In this context, success pertains to average weight loss after surgery, patient recovery times, minimizing complications, etc.
• Bedside Manner -- Is the surgeon easy to talk to? Does he or she take the time needed to answer all of your questions, or do you feel rushed when speaking to the surgeon? Does the surgeon seem to honestly care about your health and wellbeing, or do you feel like "just another number"? These questions related to the surgeon's bedside manner, and it too is an important consideration when selecting your Gainesville weight loss surgeon.

Continue Your Education

This guide to bariatric surgery and surgeons in Gainesville, Florida is not meant to be a comprehensive education on the subject. From a patient's perspective, there is certainly more to learn So before you make any decisions regarding weight loss surgery for obesity, do some further research on the subject — the pros and cons of particular surgeries, recovery times, possible risks, life after surgery, etc.

Here are some good places online to continue your research:

• MedlinePlus: Weight Loss Surgery
• Gastrointestinal Surgery for Severe Obesity
• Florida Obesity Prevention Program

I hope you have found this guide to bariatric weight-loss surgery helpful, and I wish you all the best with your journey to improved health.