When it comes to losing weight, sometimes an intense exercise routine and a healthy diet just won’t do the trick. In some cases, where our quality of life and health is at risk, when we are dealing with obesity, or even when multiple diets and exercise programs have failed us in losing weight, a weight loss surgery might be just the measure we need to gain a head start in a journey to a healthier life.
At LIMARP International Center of Excellence for Obesity, with our team of experts lead by bariatric, metabolic and general surgeon Liza María Pompa González, we offer different bariatric procedures as a step of an integral care program that considers nutrition and lasting changes of lifestyle habits. Give us a call to our Center in Tijuana, Mexico and let us help you decide which weight loss surgery is the right fit for you. We would be very glad to help.
You may be considering that a weight loss surgery is the solution you need to meet a desired change in the way you look, in the way others look at you, but most importantly, in the way that you feel. Healthwise and spirit-wise. If you’ve come to that realization, you might now be asking yourself which bariatric procedure is best. Which is the correct fit and which will give best results? We will guide you through the different types of weight loss surgeries that are available to patients with a body mass index (BMI) of an approximative 30 or higher, and we will explain the procedure for each case. As you read this information, keep in mind that a health care specialist from LIMARP can answer all your questions and assess your candidacy for any of these procedures.
There are two main types of weight loss surgeries: restrictive surgeries and malabsorptive surgeries. While malabsorptive surgeries also have a restrictive effect in the stomach, restrictive surgeries by themselves do not create a malabsorptive effect. In a scale of less to more invasive, restrictive procedures tend to be in the lower part of the scale, while the malabsorptive surgeries tend to be in the upper side of that scale because of their level of complexity and their drastic change potential.
Restrictive surgeries
This type of surgeries consists in applying methods that will restrict the space and size of the stomach. This won’t disrupt the digestive process, but it will limit your intake of calories as a consequence of eating less. This is the most common type of weight loss surgery and it is ideal for patients with a BMI of 30 to 39.5. This type of surgeries includes: gastric banding, gastric plication, gastric sleeve, and intragastric balloon.
Gastric Banding
This surgery is a minimally invasive procedure where an adjustable gastric band made out of surgical silicone is placed around the stomach. An access port allows the medical specialist to adjust the size of the stomach as needed, depending on the progress of the patient’s weight loss. In LIMARP, we offer two choices for gastric banding: the LAP-BAND® and the REALIZE® band. Both are excellent alternatives, but one offers more practical benefits than the other. The REALIZE® band offers a greater degree of control in adjustability in comparison with the LAP-BAND®. However, both are effective and involve a short hospital stay, a fast recovery and mild post-surgical pain. With this procedure you will gradually lose weight as soon as day one, at a rate of two to three pounds a week. With a steady pace to reduce any risks due to sudden changes in your body, you should be meeting your weight loss goals in 12 to 18 months. Although a gastric band is intended to stay in the stomach as a permanent measure, it may be removed.
Gastric Plication
This minimally invasive procedure consists in creating large folds in the stomach that will allow to restrict its size. The folding is achieved through stitches or sutures. It does not require the implantation of any device nor the cut of any part of your stomach. This procedure is considered to be less invasive than other weight loss surgeries, and if needed, it may be reversible.
Gastric Sleeve
This weight loss surgery suits best for patients with a BMI over 40. Patients with lower BMIs might be candidates as well only if they are dealing with seriously threatening health conditions. This procedure consists in the removal of a large part of the stomach. The remaining part of the stomach will be given the shape of a sleeve, folding it to resemble a tube which will constrict its space. This process is permanent and it may not be reversed. The surgery restricts the size of your stomach, making you eat less. And here is an added benefit: Since the part of the stomach that gets removed is the one that produces the hormones that signal hunger, you will experience less appetite, making it even easier for you to limit your calory intake because you will feel satisfied faster. With this procedure, you can expect significant weight loss in as soon as four to six months.
Intragastric Balloon
This is a non-surgical procedure that reduces the size of the stomach with the insertion of a deflated silicon gastric balloon through the esophagus. Once inside the stomach, the balloon gets inflated with a saline solution. The quantity of saline solution determines the balloon’s dimension inside the stomach. This way, the balloon may occupy roughly half the size of the stomach, which ultimately reduces your food consumption. An intragastric balloon will help you eat less, and will allow you to begin and maintain healthier eating habits and exercise routines. Once you achieve your weight loss goal and are fully set in your new healthy lifestyle, the balloon will be removed so you can continue without it. At LIMARP, surgeon Liza María Pompa González offers the ORBERA® intragastric balloon, a worldwide leading model, famous for its effectiveness and safety.
Malabsorptive surgeries
A malabsorptive surgery is a type of weight loss surgery that reduces the absorption capacity of the intestines and the size of the stomach. With this procedure, fewer nutrients and calories are absorbed by the body, which is very helpful in the treatment of metabolic illnesses. Patients who have been diagnosed with at least three metabolic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal triglyceride levels, and low good cholesterol, are candidates for this kind of surgery. Also known as metabolic surgeries because of their effect in the metabolical process, malabsorptive procedures include: the gastric bypass, the mini gastric bypass, and the duodenal switch.
Gastric Bypass
This surgery is ideal for patients who have at least three or four metabolic conditions and a BMI higher than 40. Also known as Roux-en-Y, the gastric bypass surgery is a procedure in which the stomach gets divided into two parts. The upper part will be connected directly to the lower section of the small intestine. Food will be digested through this section of the stomach, skipping or bypassing the other isolated part of the stomach which won’t be able to absorb any nutrients. The second part of the stomach will also be connected to the slow intestine, only further down. With this weight loss surgery, the digestive track is shortened. Digestion takes a quick shortcut. There will be less space in the stomach for food, and less absorption of calories and nutrients in the intestine. A smart, rich-protein and effective diet is crucial with this procedure in order to prevent malnutrition. The benefits for this kind of surgery are plenty. Some of the benefits include remission of type 2 diabetes, relief of sleep apnea and relief of joint pain. Heart risks are also mitigated with this kind of surgery. However, this process may not be reversible.
Mini Gastric Bypass
This procedure is pretty similar to the “normal size” gastric bypass. The difference is that the mini gastric bypass is less invasive and it gets done faster than the traditional gastric bypass. It is also more affordable and it involves fewer risks than the gastric bypass. Which one is best for you? At LIMARP, we can help you decide. Both surgeries will make you lose weight; however, the mini gastric bypass takes one hour or surgical intervention, while the traditional gastric bypass may take up to 4 hours. Also, in the mini gastric bypass, a shorter length of the small intestine gets bypassed and the bile digestive enzymes don’t get diverted from the stomach in the same way than in the traditional gastric bypass. The greatest part of this procedure is that you obtain almost the same benefits than the gastric bypass: the reduction of the effects and risks of metabolic conditions, of course, the loss of weight, and the opportunity to acquire a healthier lifestyle.
Duodenal Switch
This weight loss surgery is intended only for patients that have a BMI of 50 or higher. Patients with a lower BMI might be candidates if severe and high health risks are also present. This is the most invasive and lengthy procedure as far as weight loss surgeries go. A surgery like this may take five hours of intervention. It is also non reversive.
In a duodenal switch, 75 per cent of the stomach is removed and then added a gastric sleeve that includes most of the small intestine. It’s the most aggressive bariatric surgery out there because it combines many different procedures in one surgery. It accomplishes to reduce the size of the stomach and the absorption of nutrients and calories. Patients that go through this procedure experience dramatic weight lost. They lose as much as half of their weight within a year or less. A healthy and protein-rich diet is necessary to prevent any risk of malnutrition. The benefits of this weight loss surgery include relief of back and joint pain, control gain of diabetes and general renewed energy. Surgeries such as this one, designed for morbidly obese candidates, tend to have great repercussions in the patient’s quality of life in so many levels.
Some final considerations
Every one of the weight loss surgeries mentioned above imply a certain amount of risks. Some more than others, depending on how invasive they are and the health conditions of the patient. This is not a matter that should be taken slightly. We encourage you to consult our team of experts at LIMARP International Center of Excellence for Obesity. Our specialists will guide you through your options, and will help you assess risks and benefits for each case. You can trust in our experience. We have dealt with at least 3,000 bariatric surgeries since 2002, all with leading surgeon Liza María Pompa González, who is the first female surgeon to obtain the title of Surgeon of Excellence from the American Surgical Review Corporation. She is certified by the Mexican Board of General Surgery and by the American Heart Association in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support.
You should also be made aware that no single surgery can change the course of your health by itself. An integral plan that considers diet and exercise is vital and should be complementary to your procedure in order to achieve your weight loss goals and to sustain a healthy lifestyle with no drawbacks.
Rest assured we got your back. Our treatment is holistic and integral in the sense that it considers different aspects of the patient’s life, and not only their surgical intervention. We provide a weight loss program that includes a nutritional plan made just for you and a complete physical activity routine plan. During the different stages of this program, we focus on prevention, education, the weight loss surgery itself, and follow-up treatment and consult. Believe us, we are just as compromised as you are in your weight loss and healthy lifestyle goals. The well-being of our patients is our main mission.
About us
LIMARP International Center of Excellence for Obesity is located in Tijuana, Mexico, in a highly prestigious and dynamic business area, 15 minutes away from the famous border crossing at San Ysidro in San Diego County. You have never experienced medical care like this before. Not only do we modern and certified equipment, luxurious recovery rooms with stunning views to the emblematic Tijuana’s Country Club Golf Course, but we also have access to a next-door hotel, the Twin Tower’s Grand Hotel. You won’t even have to leave our facilities and you can recover with tranquility and peace of mind.
Weight loss surgery at LIMARP is not only safe and efficient, but affordable. During your consult, feel free to ask for complete information about our different financing plans or coverage of American insurance plans.
Contact us
We hope that this information has been of value. If you are considering a weight loss surgery that is the right fit for you, we encourage you to get in contact with us though any of our social media pages. You can leave us a message in our Facebook page, Instagram or Twitter, or you can call the following numbers:
From Mexico dial (664) 686-2542
From USA dial (619) 373-0229
For a toll free number from USA, dial (866) 279-8327