Bariatric Surgery Center: What we offer

Altoona Regional's Bariatric Surgery Center offers unparalleled care and effective surgical solutions through a comprehensive team approach.

Open Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery

This approach to bariatric surgery involves making an open incision in the upper abdomen. This permits direct visual access to the stomach and intestines. A very small gastric pouch is created, about the size of an egg, and approximately 3 to 4 feet of the small intestine is bypassed. The new stomach pouch is connected to the bypassed segment of small intestine. Therefore, it greatly reduces the amount of food one can eat and introduces an element of malabsorption. With patient compliance, durable and long-lasting weight loss is then achieved.

Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery

The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass operation is quickly becoming the most widely performed weight-loss surgery. With the laparoscopic approach, the surgeon performs the surgery using six very small incisions, long instruments and a camera. The laparoscopic approach has the benefits of less postoperative pain, quicker recovery, shorter hospital stay and less chance of incisional hernia.

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding

Another surgical treatment for morbid obesity is the adjustable gastric band. This procedure induces weight loss by using an adjustable band to reduce the functional capacity of the stomach. This restricts the amount of food you can eat and results in weight loss.

This is a less invasive procedure that involves no cutting, stapling or stomach rerouting. The band is fastened around the upper stomach to create a tiny stomach pouch that slows the emptying process into the stomach and intestines. As a result, you will experience an earlier sensation of fullness and be satisfied with smaller amounts of food. In comparison to the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, the adjustable gastric band results in slower weight loss and, according to most studies, less excess body weight lost.