Bariatric Surgery

Weight-Reduction Surgery Available at Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic surgeons perform several kinds of weight-reduction procedures: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, laparoscopic gastric banding and biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch. Mayo's multidisciplinary team will help select the best procedure for each patient.

Learn more about the weight reduction procedures at Mayo Clinic.

The most common procedure at Mayo is Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, which research has shown to be the most effective procedure with the best long-term results. Two types of Roux procedures are done at Mayo. The procedures not only limit how much a person can eat at a time, but also redirect the food to bypass most of the stomach and the first section of the small intestine. This greatly limits the body's ability to absorb nutrients and calories.

Mayo Clinic surgeons can perform gastric bypass using minimally invasive techniques in certain patients. Using a lighted telescope, the surgeon operates through small incisions (port sites) in the abdomen. Performing the operation laparoscopically can help decrease the hospital stay and lead to a quicker recovery. There also appear to be fewer wound-related problems with laparoscopic gastric bypass than with the traditional "open" gastric bypass. People who have had minimal or no prior abdominal surgery may be candidates for minimally invasive surgery.

Special capabilities

Unique to Mayo Clinic is the capability to do "revisional" surgery; that is, surgery to fix a problem in people who have already had a bariatric procedure. In addition, Mayo Clinic will perform gastric bypass on older people who may not qualify to have the procedure at other institutions because of their age. In both areas, Mayo Clinic has had excellent results.

Gallbladder removal

Overweight people are more likely to have gallstones, and about 30 percent of people undergoing these operations have gallstones at the time of surgery. In addition, another 30 percent of people develop gallstones after surgery. Therefore, the gallbladder is often removed during gastric bypass surgery.