Bariatric Surgery
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Obesity puts you at risk for more than 40 diseases and medical conditions, like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, orthopedic issues, and certain cancers. If diets and previous weight-loss efforts have been unsuccessful, you may be a candidate for the most effective treatment for obesity: bariatric surgery, also known as weight-loss surgery.
Saint Luke’s Center for Surgical Weight Loss can help you lose excess weight and keep it off for life. Our centers at Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, Saint Luke's South Hospital, and Saint Luke's North Hospital are accredited by the MBSAQIP. This distinction is earned by programs that provide superior surgical care and achieve top levels of performance.
Find out if you're a candidate
The physicians and staff of Saint Luke’s Center for Surgical Weight Loss know you may be exploring many options before making this life-changing decision. We invite you to view a free educational online video series. You’ll learn more about the types of bariatric surgery, the qualifications for surgery, and what makes the Saint Luke’s program unique. The four videos will take less than 20 minutes in total to complete and is the next step to consultation with a surgeon.
For additional information about our program, please request a packet.
If you choose Saint Luke’s for your weight-loss surgery, expect an extensive treatment plan in advance of the procedure and a comprehensive support network following your surgery.
Saint Luke’s Center for Surgical Weight Loss four locations bring together a variety of support services for people undergoing weight-loss surgery. The goal is to improve patient health, outcomes, and quality of life. The support continues long after surgery, helping patients keep their weight off for life. Our support services include:
- Education
Patients are required to attend a free seminar before scheduling their in-office consult. The seminars allow patients to learn more about the types of weight-loss surgery, what to expect from surgery and information to help determine whether surgery is the right answer. Seminars are currently offered online.
- Diet
You'll meet with a registered dietitian who specializes in the nutritional needs of bariatric patients. The dietitian conducts pre- and post-operative nutritional evaluations and provides counseling designed specifically for bariatric patients.
Patients are coached on two key diet changes:
- Hydration: Patients must drink a minimum of 64 ounces of non-carbonated, non-caffeinated drinks daily. Water is preferred.
- Protein: Foods rich in protein are more satisfying and filling than carbs, and protein helps patients lose weight more rapidly and safely. Patients are reminded to focus on eating proteins before other types of food.
- Exercise
An exercise physiologist customizes a program to meet the workout needs of each bariatric patient. You will have the opportunity to meet with the exercise physiologist multiple times before and after surgery.
Pre-operative exercise
During this session, the exercise physiologist will ask questions to assess your current fitness level and provide recommendations for fitness training. Fitness level is highly correlated to morbidity and mortality and a low fitness level increases your risk of developing a myriad of diseases. Many patients choose to schedule monthly appointments to reassess their progress, which can be highly motivating.
Post-operative exercise
Six weeks to three months after surgery, you'll meet with the exercise physiologist to reassess your fitness level and your exercise training. These sessions will be directed toward teaching the fundamentals of resistance training, which is essential for maintaining muscle mass, strength, and bone density during and after major weight loss. You'll have the opportunity to schedule multiple sessions within the first year after surgery. These are not personal training sessions, rather, these sessions will teach you new life skills that can be used at home or at the gym.
- Psychological support
A licensed psychologist conducts pre-operative screenings with each patient and the behavioral health team is available upon request for post-operative consultations.
Insurance
Patient policies
Paying for surgical weight loss
More insurance companies are covering bariatric weight loss procedures, but you should ask your insurance provider whether surgery for morbid obesity is covered. Patients without insurance coverage are required to pay 100 percent of the cost of surgery upfront.
The costs for self-pay patients include gastric bypass, $25,000; sleeve gastrectomy, $16,000. At this time, Saint Luke's does not offer a self-pay option for duodenal switch—this procedure requires insurance approval. Fees cover all pre-op lab work, surgery, anesthesia, hospital stay, post-op care for a certain period, and a re-insurance policy that covers potential complications.
Types of surgeries
We offer three types of laparoscopic weight-loss surgery: sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, and duodenal switch. All three procedures are considered minimally invasive. Our surgeons perform the surgeries through small incisions in your abdomen by using laparoscopes. This speeds your recovery time and minimizes the risk of complications.
Sleeve Gastrectomy
The surgeon removes a large portion of the stomach, leaving a smaller banana-shaped stomach with much smaller capacity. This procedure is irreversible.
Weight loss
Sleeve gastrectomy patients lose about 2 to 3 pounds per week and up to 55 percent of their excess weight.
Notes
Sleeve gastrectomy is an irreversible procedure where the surgeon removes about 85 percent of the stomach, leaving a smaller stomach with much smaller capacity. Weight loss is generally faster and more pronounced than gastric banding. Overeating can increase the size of the stomach over time.
Risks
The stomach can leak, narrow to further restrict its size, and cause hernias.
Saint Luke’s surgeons perform almost all of their procedures laparoscopically. Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive method requiring much smaller incisions than traditional open surgery. This leads to less pain, a shorter hospital stay, and fewer complications.
Gastric Bypass
Using the Roux-en-Y technique, the surgeon re-routes and shortens the digestive system. Patients generally lose the most weight. This procedure is reversible.
Weight loss
Gastric bypass patients lose about 3 to 4 pounds per week, losing up to 70 percent of their excess weight. This rapid weight loss will taper off over time as you reach your optimal weight.
Notes
Often called the gold standard of weight-loss surgery, gastric bypass helps patients lose more weight than other procedures—and generally at a faster pace. Gastric bypass patients also generally keep their weight off longer. It is the most common weight-loss surgery, performed an estimated 140,000 times per year in the United States. During the procedure, surgeons reduce the size of the stomach—about the size of a football—to the size of an egg. The stomach is divided into a small upper pouch and a much larger lower "remnant" pouch. The upper pouch is then connected directly to the small intestine. The shorter route makes patients feel full faster and reduces the calories absorbed.
Risks
Patients can have respiratory problems, leaking, hernias, bowel obstructions, ulcers, intolerance to certain foods, and nutritional deficiencies. Patients must take special vitamins for the rest of their lives.
Saint Luke’s surgeons perform almost all of their procedures laparoscopically. Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive method requiring much smaller incisions than traditional open surgery. This leads to less pain, a shorter hospital stay, and fewer complications.
Duodenal Switch
The surgeon removes a large portion of the stomach, leaving a smaller banana-shaped stomach with much smaller capacity. The small intestine is then divided, separating the digestive juices from food until late in the small intestine. This procedure is irreversible.
Weight loss
Duodenal switch patients will experience the fastest and most dramatic weight loss: up to 5 pounds per week and up to 85 percent of their excess weight. This rapid weight loss will taper off over time as you reach your optimal weight.
Notes
Duodenal switch is also known as DS, The Switch, or biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch. DS combines a sleeve gastrectomy with gastric bypass. It has the best weight loss and diabetes management success rates. Overeating can increase the size of the stomach over time.
Risks
Risks are similar to those of gastric bypass, including slightly increased malnutrition risk. The stomach can leak, narrow to further restrict its size, and cause hernias. Your surgeon will review all potential risks and complications.
Saint Luke’s surgeons perform almost all of their procedures laparoscopically. Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive method requiring much smaller incisions than traditional open surgery. This leads to less pain, a shorter hospital stay, and fewer complications.
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Providers
Michael R Arroyo, MD
Robert J Kenney, Jr, DO
Barbara Nguyen, MD
Geoffrey C Slayden, MD
Kathryn S Sobba, MD
G Brent Sorensen, MD
Nearest Locations
Saint Luke's Surgical Specialists
