If you and your doctor have decided that bariatric surgery is right for you, there are several different surgical procedures for obesity that could help you to manage your weight. Although all three procedures work by reducing your appetite and restricting the amount of food you can eat, they do this in very different ways. It is important to find out all about the risks and benefits of each procedure so that you can choose the option that will suit you best.

Gastric Band

Although a gastric band may restrict the amount of food you can eat, the effects can vary, and there is unlikely to be much change in your appetite, so this is the least reliable option. However, when it is successful, patients lose on average 50% of their excess weight with the right lifestyle changes. The gastric band also has the shortest recovery period for any of the surgical procedures for obesity and doesn’t usually require more than one night in hospital.

Gastric Bypass

The gastric bypass has the best record of success, as the average excess weight loss is abut 60 to 70%. The procedure will reduce the amount of food that your stomach can take in, and it will also reduce your appetite, although you will still need to stick to a careful diet, particularly as you may be prone to developing nutritional deficiencies. Another benefit is that you may also develop an aversion to sweet foods, although this often wears off after about a year.

Sleeve Gastrectomy

A sleeve gastrectomy can also reduce your appetite and restrict the amount of food that you eat, but these results may not be permanent, particularly if you start to put on weight again. You might need to have further surgical procedures for obesity to maintain your weight loss. However, when the procedure is a success, patients have lost on average 50 to 60% of their excess weight.