Surgery in the Treatment of Obesity (cont.)

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Medical Author:

Alan Saber, MD

Alan Saber, MD is currently Chief of Minimally Invasive Surgery and Bariatric Surgery and an Associate Professor of Surgery at Michigan State University. Dr. Saber earned both his MD and a post-doctoral degree in surgery from the Alexandria University School of Medicine in Alexandria, Egypt. His surgical residency included Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and The Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida.

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Coauthor:

Kathryn L Hale, MS, PA-C

Medical Editor:

Michel M Murr, MD

Classifications of Surgery

Surgeries for weight loss can be classified as follows:

Restrictive procedures that limit the amount of food intake by reducing the size of the stomach

Malabsorptive procedures that interfere with absorption of food from the digestive tract

Combined restrictive and malabsorptive procedures

The 2 most commonly performed operations for weight loss in the United States are the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and the adjustable gastric band (AGB). Both procedures could be done laparoscopically with smaller incisions than those required for traditional open approach (laparotomy). Small incisions result in less pain, early ambulation, and rapid postoperative recovery and less chance for wound complications (wound infection, fluid collection, and hernia).

Preoperative Workup»

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