Bariatric surgery

Weight loss surgery clinic in Augusta, Georgia

Whether you want to lose to gain more energy, confidence or more years with those you love, we understand every reason to achieve — and maintain — a healthy weight is uniquely yours and yours alone. But the journey getting there doesn’t have to be.

The Healthy Living Center at Doctors Hospital of Augusta is a bariatric surgery clinic with a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals dedicated to helping patients achieve sustained weight loss through surgery. Our weight loss specialists are by your side from the very beginning, empowering you with comprehensive education and compassionate support to help guide you as you take the first step toward living a healthier, happier life.

For more information about our weight loss surgical services, please call our nurse navigator at (706) 651-5483 or email her.

Your surgical weight loss options

There are many surgical weight loss options available to you. Together, you and your dedicated team will determine which is ideal for your situation. Of course, there are several measures you should consider before surgery so you are comfortable and prepared for your procedure. Our goal is to help you understand your options, feel comfortable about your choices and find the right approach to help you live your reason.

Duodenal switch

Duodenal switch is the most complex of the surgical weight loss procedures. It essentially combines sleeve gastrectomy with gastric bypass to achieve the highest expected weight loss in people affected by severe obesity (BMI of 60 or greater). With duodenal switch, the risk of developing nutritional deficiencies is high but can be managed with proper diet and a lifelong strict adherence of vitamin and mineral supplements.

• Patients may lose up to 80 percent of their excess body weight within the first year after surgery
• Studies report duodenal switch is more effective in reducing, and even curing, type 2 diabetes when compared to other weight loss surgical procedures
• Unlike gastric bypass, duodenal switch preserves the pylorus valve which may reduce the likelihood of “dumping syndrome”
• The remaining stomach is larger, which may allow for a more diverse diet with larger portions

Gastric balloon

This is a nonsurgical procedure involving a Redefine physician placing and inflating a balloon in the stomach to reduce stomach capacity. After six months, the gastric balloon is removed and patients continue their weight loss journey through diet and exercise. The gastric balloon helps patients adjust their portion size, and over time this new healthier portion size, in combination with a healthy diet, results in weight loss.

• Patients may lose about 15 percent of excess body weight during the six months of implantation
• Gastric balloon is temporary and reversible
• Gastric balloon does not require the removal of any part of the stomach as with sleeve gastrectomy or complex rearrangement of the intestine as with gastric bypass
• No need for nutritional supplements

Adjustable gastric banding

This surgical procedure restricts and reduces food intake by implanting a silicone band around the upper part of the stomach. This band slows down the passage of food, which makes you feel “full” with smaller amounts of food. The band can easily be adjusted to increase or decrease food restriction. Gastric banding does not affect the digestive process, which means your body will absorb the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it needs. It is perhaps the least invasive of the weight loss surgical procedures and is a viable option for those with a lower BMI (greater than 35 with comorbidities or obesity-related medical conditions).

• Patients may lose about 40 percent of excess body weight within two years after surgery
• The band can be easily adjusted, or removed entirely, under the care of the highly skilled affiliated Redefine bariatric surgeons
• Does not require the removal of any part of the stomach as with sleeve gastrectomy or complex rearrangement of the intestines as with gastric bypass
• No need for a lifetime of nutritional supplements

Gastric bypass

Gastric bypass has been performed for nearly half of a century and is the most widely researched. It is considered by many as the ‘gold standard’ for weight loss surgery. Also known as Roux-en-Y, it promotes weight loss by permanently reducing the size of your upper stomach to a small pouch and rerouting your small intestine to decrease the amount of fat and calories your body absorbs. Rerouting the small intestine can also lead to patients feeling full much sooner, due to an earlier release of gut hormones that reduce appetite.

• Patients may lose about 70 percent of excess body fat within the first year and a half after surgery
• Patients may develop an intolerance to sugary and starchy foods called "dumping syndrome," which causes sweating, vomiting and rapid heart rate. For many patients, the fear of experiencing these symptoms is motivation to make healthier food choices, which can result in even greater weight loss
• Nutritional deficiencies may develop, but can be managed through proper diet and vitamin supplements

Sleeve gastrectomy

Sleeve gastrectomy involves the permanent removal of about 80 percent of the stomach. The stomach is stapled into a sleeve or tube shape to limit the amount of food you can eat. Combined with healthy dietary choices, this can be a very effective, dramatic weight loss method.

• May improve obesity-related diseases, including high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea and high cholesterol
• Favorable changes to gut hormones typically prevent overeating
• No foreign object is implanted in the body, which eliminates rejection
• Sleeve gastrectomy is not reversible, but it can be converted into other procedures such as duodenal switch

Weight loss surgery revisions

Weight loss surgery revisions are procedures to improve, correct or repair a bariatric surgery that did not produce satisfactory weight loss results.

Are you a candidate for clinical weight loss surgery?

Doctors Hospital is fully accredited by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP). This designation is reserved for weight loss surgery programs that have demonstrated a history of successful bariatric surgery patient outcomes focused on long term success.

Because you and your reason are unique, only you, your surgeon and your weight loss team can determine which procedure is right for you.

Bariatric surgery education and support

We provide emotional support for patients throughout their weight loss journey. We also offer weight loss surgery seminars to potential patients who may want more information about the different bariatric surgery options we offer.