Bariatric Surgery
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UF Health Bariatric Surgery Center – Shands Hospital
UF Health surgeons offer minimally invasive bariatric surgeries at the UF Health Bariatric Surgery Center at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida. The multidisciplinary center brings together a health care team, caring for the whole patient, not just their surgical needs. UF Health surgeons collaborate with UF Health experts from psychiatry, cardiology, pulmonology, medicine, nephrology and nutrition as they strive to identify and resolve the extensive health problems associated with morbid obesity.
Procedures
Gastric Bypass (Roux-en-Y)
The most common operative procedure we perform for weight loss is the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. This is currently considered the “Gold Standard” of surgical weight-loss procedures. It results in weight loss by significantly reducing the size of your stomach, so you cannot eat as much, and by bypassing your small intestines so you absorb less fat from the foods you eat. This operation has been accepted by obesity surgeons throughout the country and major medical societies as being the most effective in weight reduction and maintenance of weight loss. We perform this surgery using laparoscopic techniques, avoiding a large incision in your abdomen. However, an abdominal incision is sometimes necessary based on your weight, body shape, and previous surgeries. Find out more about gastric bypass.
Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (Sleeve)
This surgery is usually done using a tiny camera that is placed in your belly. This type of surgery is called laparoscopy. The camera is called a laparoscope. It allows our surgeon to see inside your belly to remove a large portion of your stomach. The new, smaller stomach is about the size of a banana. It limits the amount of food you can eat by making you feel full after eating small amounts of food. Find out more about vertical sleeve gastrectomy.
Laparoscopic Gastric Banding
The UF Health Bariatric Surgery Center currently only provides maintenance and removal of bands for patients who have already had this type of surgery. Please contact our bariatric coordinator, Gwen Hasse, RN, MSN at 352.265.0111 x29634 for more information.
Corrective/Revision
We offer several corrective or revision surgeries to address complications and/or unsuccessful results of previous bariatric operations, including lengthening the roux limb and increasing or restoring gastric restriction.
Conversion
We offer two procedures that transfer an initial or original surgery to a different type of procedure, including converting a laparoscopic band to a sleeve or roux-en-y and or converting a sleeve to a roux-en-y.
Surgical Results
Surgical weight loss is the only proven, reliable and long-term weight loss solution for morbid obesity. When patients adhere to the necessary post-surgery commitments, including diet and exercise, weight loss surgery is very successful. Results from surgery directly impact a person’s overall quality of life, as well as resolve many co-existing health problems.
A 2004 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association* cited the following resolution statistics of health-related problems:
Diabetes Mellitus
- Complete resolution – 76.8 percent
- Resolved or improved – 86 percent
Hyperlipidemia
- Improved 70 percent
Hypertension
- Resolved 61.7 percent
- Resolved or improved 78 percent
Sleep Apnea
- Resolved 85.7 percent
Morbid Obesity
Morbid obesity affects about 15 million people, or one in 50 adults, in the United States, according to the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery. It is defined by being at least 100 pounds overweight, with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more. It is a life-threatening disease commonly associated with numerous detrimental health conditions, including Type 2 diabetes, stroke, hypertension, cancer and sleep apnea. Obesity impacts both quantity and quality of life; and too commonly it interferes with social and personal activities.