What is the procedure?

If you undergo bariatric surgery, the procedure will be done under general anesthesia. Your surgeon first will make the stomach smaller by using staples to divide it into two sections, a small upper pouch and larger bottom. The top is for food and is about the size of a walnut, holding about one ounce of food. The bypass part is trickier. The surgeon will connect a part of the small intestine to a small hole in the pouch. This will now take the food you eat into the small intestine from this opening. The downside is you will get fewer calories and nutrients from food, requiring you to take vitamin supplements.

The surgery can be performed using a large surgical cut or can be used with a tiny camera known as a laparoscope. This will require up to six cuts in your belly and will use thin surgical instruments in combination with the small camera to perform the procedure. The results will be the same whether you go for the full cut or the laparoscopy, but the smaller cut will enable you to recover faster, have a smaller scar, get out of the hospital faster and endure less pain.

Because any surgery is risky, these procedures are considered a last resort when the patient cannot lose weight via diet, exercise or changing behaviors. Risks include developing an allergic reaction to medicine, a blood clot, blood loss, serious infections, breathing issues, unforeseen blockages, and a stroke or heart attack during the surgery, which can last four hours or more. There is also a small chance of death on the operating table, estimated historically at 0.1 percent to 2 percent, with recent data pegging it at 1 percent.

Keep in mind that bariatric surgery is not a cure. You will be required to diet and exercise for the rest of your life, and the stomach can stretch over time, in effect undoing the benefits of the surgery and allowing you to ingest more food.