What are the different types of weight loss surgery?
There are three types of weight loss surgery which are performed in Australia to help people lose weight or in some cases save their lives. These surgeries consist of; Gastric Bypass, Sleeve Gastrectomy and Adjustable Gastric Bands (AGB). The shortest duration of any of these procedures is 18 hours with a very long hospital stay with the exception being AGB which patients can go home after 1 night hospital stay! Gastric Bypass This Gastric Bypass surgery creates a small pouch at the top part of the stomach and re-arranges the small intestine. The surgery works in two ways. Firstly, it reduces the amount of food you can eat (restrictive portion control) and secondly, it decreases the amount of calories the body absorbs from food. The surgery is performed under general anaesthesia and usually takes 2-3 hours. During the surgery, the surgeon will divide the stomach into two sections. Sleeve gastrectomy : During this procedure, the stomach is reduced to about 15% o...