Part UT Health San Antonio

A healthy weight helps you control metabolic syndrome. Bariatric surgery may be tried if other methods don't work.

It may be done for people who have a:

  • BMI greater than 40, and diet and exercise changes haven’t worked
  • BMI 30-40 and have:

The types of bariatric surgery:

  • Roux-en-Y gastric bypass —Makes the stomach smaller. Only small amounts of food can be eaten. The intestines are bypassed.
  • Laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LapBand)—A band is placed around the stomach. This means you eat less food. But, the intestines are not bypassed. The doctor can change the size of the band. This changes how fast food moves out of the pouch.
  • Laparoscopic vertical banded gastroplasty—Small cuts are made in the belly. Thin, lighted tubes are placed into the cuts. The doctor uses the tube to pass tools. The stomach is banded and stapled. This makes a smaller pouch.
  • Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch—This makes the stomach smaller. It also shortens the length of the small intestine.

Surgery may result in:

  • Weight loss
  • Less or elimination of insulin resistance and diabetes
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Lower cholesterol in the blood
REFERENCES:

Bariatric surgery. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at:http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T483434/Bariatric-surgery. Updated July 18, 2018. Accessed September 23, 2016.

Bariatric surgery. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases website. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/bariatric-surgery. Accessed June 10, 2013.

Metabolic syndrome. Merck Manual Professional Version website. Available at: https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/nutritional-disorders/obesity-and-the-metabolic-syndrome/metabolic-syndrome. Updated December 2016. August 27, 2018.

Metabolic syndrome. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Available at: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/metabolic-syndrome. Accessed August 27, 2018.

Metabolic syndrome in adults. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at:http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T113812/Metabolic-syndrome-in-adults. Updated March 29, 2018. Accessed August 27, 2018.

Prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome. American Heart Association website. Available at: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/metabolic-syndrome/prevention-and-treatment-of-metabolic-syndrome. Accessed August 27, 2018.

Last reviewed May 2018 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Marcin Chwistek, MD  Last Updated: 8/27/2018