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Overview of Procedures
Whether you are looking for minimal aggressiveness or maximum effectiveness, NewFit offers a wide range of surgical options to help you find the procedure that's right for you. Quickly compare and contrast NewFit's four most common procedures using the Surgical Snapshot below, then scroll down to find specific information on each procedure.
Surgical Snapshot
Bariatric Surgery Comparison
| GASTRIC BALLOON | GASTRIC BAND | GASTRIC SLEEVE | GASTRIC BYPASS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surgical Difficulty | N/A | Easiest | Easy | Moderate |
| Operation Time | 15-30 Minutes | 1 Hour | 1-2 Hours | 2-3 Hours |
| Operative Risk | Safest | Safest | Safe | Moderate |
| Performed* | Endoscopically | Laparoscopically | Robotic/Laparoscopic | Robotic/Laparoscopic |
| Hospital Stay | 0 Days | 0-1 Days | 1-2 Days | 2 Days |
| Days to Return to Work** | 1-3 Days | 5-7 Days | 7-10 Days | 7-10 Days |
| Initial Weight Loss | .5-1 pound/week | 1-2 pounds/week | 2-4 pounds/week | 5+ pounds/week |
| Total Weight Loss | 30-35% | 50% | 60-70% | 70-80% |
| Effectiveness | High | High | Higher | Highest |
| Maintenance*** | Moderate | Moderate | Lowest | Low |
* Refers to the method most-commonly used by NewFit for a particular procedure. We perform virtually all gastric bypass and gastric sleeve procedures robotically, depending on individual patient variables and additional criteria.
** Based on average return to work with lifting restrictions or light duty for six weeks after surgery.
*** Gastric Balloon must be removed by 6 months.
Offered by NewFit
Least invasive weight loss procedure we perform, the Gastric Balloon is placed in Endoscopy (no surgical incisions)
- Very specific post-placement process
- Must be used with monthly supervised diet and behavior modification regime to maintain long-term weight loss
- Balloon can only remain in place for 6 months at time. It can be replaced
- Procedure helps weight loss by inserting a silicone implant in the patient's stomach, and creating a sensation of fullness which equals satiety by decreasing the amount of food consumed. Patients feel full sooner and have a weaker appetite between meals
Offered by NewFit
Considered the least invasive weight loss surgery, gastric banding is performed laparoscopically with the LAP-BAND®. The procedure helps snap weight loss into gear by inserting an adjustable band around the upper part of the patient's stomach, and creating a much smaller pouch that can only hold a limited amount of food. As a result, patients feel full sooner and have a far weaker appetite between meals. The doctor will also continually customize the level of food restriction needed by periodically adjusting the band.
Advantages of gastric banding include:
- Adjustability and reversibility
- The most minimally-invasive surgical weight loss approach
- No stomach cutting, stapling, or intestinal re-routing
- The lowest mortality rate of any major weight-loss surgery (less than 0.1%)
- An extremely quick recovery (usually require less than a 24-hour hospital stay)
- Low risk of malnutrition
- Gradual, more natural weight-loss (about 1-2 lbs. per week during the first year)
- Continued weight loss up to 3-4 years after surgery
Potential risks or disadvantages of gastric banding include:
- Slippage of the band, or erosion of the band into the stomach wall stay
- Device malfunction (tubing disconnection, leaking, etc.)
- A dilated stomach pouch if the band is too tight for a prolonged period
- Long-term complications may result in band removal
- Failure to lose weight
- Requires more maintenance than other weight-loss surgeries for band adjustments
Offered by NewFit
Performed robotic-laparoscopically, with several tiny incisions and using a special stapling device; the gastric sleeve assists weight-loss by creating a small, thinner shaped stomach and removes a portion of the stomach. For the patient, this procedure greatly reduces food intake and increases feelings of satisfaction and fullness, without interfering with the body's normal digestive processes. It also reduces the production of Ghrelin, a hunger hormone, which significantly decreases appetite.
Advantages of the gastric sleeve include:
- Highly effective long-term weight loss (up to 50-70% of excess body weight) with few complications
- Low mortality rates (approximately 0.2%)
- Moderately rapid weight loss of 2-4 lbs. per week
- Minimal impact on the anatomy
- Typical recovery period of 7-10 days
- Normal digestion and absorption of nutrition with low risk of malabsorption
- No cutting or re-routing of the small intestines
- No dumping syndrome (compared to gastric bypass)
- Fewer follow-up appointments and no surgical adjustments (compared to gastric banding)
- Relatively low maintenance
- The allowance of conversion to other surgery
Potential risks or disadvantages of the gastric sleeve include:
- Leaks and bleeding from staple lines, which although extremely rare, may result in infection or death
- Staple line strictures, which may lead to obstruction and vomiting
- Reflux issues
Offered by NewFit
As America's golden standard and longest established weight-loss surgery, gastric bypass is proven to be an extremely effective solution for long-term weight loss. Gastric bypass is performed robotic-laparoscopically, with several tiny incisions, using special staples to create a small upper-stomach pouch which is connected to the small intestine which restricts food intake and allows the body to bypass unwanted calories. And although gastric bypass can be viewed as a major and aggressive bariatric procedure, NewFit's exclusive use of the da Vinci® robot significantly reduces its level of invasiveness and complications.
Advantages of gastric bypass include:
- Effective, rapid weight loss (about 5 lbs. per week), especially within the first 6-9 months
- The loss of up to 60-80% excess body weight
- Greatly reduces food intake and increases feelings of satisfaction and fullness
- General weight stability between 12-18 months after surgery
- Significant improvement or reduction of serious co-morbidities such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure) and sleep apnea
- A mortality risk of approximately 0.5%
- A typical recovery period of 7-10 days
Potential risks or disadvantages of gastric bypass include:
- Leaks and bleeding from staple lines, which although extremely rare, may result in infection or death
- Anastomotic strictures, which may lead to stomach obstruction and vomiting
- Internal hernias, which can cause small bowel obstructions
- Marginal ulcers
- Dumping syndrome, a negative reaction to eating sugar that may result in nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, sweating, or physical weakness
- Nutritional deficiencies as a result of altering the body's normal absorption processes