Surgical Options

When talking with healthcare professionals, you’ll often hear them use the medical term bariatric surgery when referring to weight loss surgery. Bariatric (bear-ee-AT-ric) comes from the Greek words baros (weight) and iatros (medical treatment).

At AtlantiCare’s Center for Surgical Weight Loss & Wellness, we specialize in bariatric surgery – using methods the National Institutes of Health considers effective in treating morbid obesity.

Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, one of the most successful options for morbidly obese patients to achieve significant weight reduction and to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle; and
Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, the newest surgical weight loss procedure which reduces the size of the stomach and helps patients feel full sooner.
Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAP-BAND®), a less invasive form of weight loss surgery and one that can be reversed.

Laparoscopic vs. Open Surgery

Laparoscopy is considered a more technologically advanced, less invasive approach to surgery. It requires that the surgeon have special training and skills in the laparoscopic technique.

While open surgery uses an 8- to 10-inch incision (cut) to open the abdomen, the laparoscopic approach involves six small incisions (¼ or ½ inches long). Through these small incisions, a fiber optic tube (the laparoscope) connected to a camera and long surgical instruments are inserted. Because the entire operation is performed “inside” the abdomen without a large incision, it is considered less invasive. Benefits for the patient include:

Reduced recovery time due to less tissue damage (including the ability to return to work in two to three weeks, compared to four to six weeks for open surgery)
Shorter hospital stay (average one to two days)
Reduced rate of incisional hernias (when an abdominal incision does not heal properly) and infection
Less discomfort after surgery
Smaller scars

Single Incision Laproscopic Surgery (S.I.L.S.)

The SILS(TM) Port is a single, flexible port that can be fitted through a small incision in the umbilicus which results in a single "hidden scar," a cosmetic advance over the multiple visible scars associated with standard multi-port laparoscopy. The port has the capacity for up to three laparoscopic instruments.

"SILS(TM) Port is the first device specifically indicated for multiple instrument access to the abdomen through a single incision," said Scott Flora, President, Surgical Devices, Covidien. "We led the first surgical revolution with multi-port laparoscopic surgery and Covidien is now leading the way again with SILS(TM) procedures and the new SILS(TM) Port, innovations that offer surgeons an immediate advancement in patient care," he added.

The SILS(TM) Port is designed to offer surgeons an immediate advancement in patient care. When the SILS(TM) Port is combined with several other devices in the Company's portfolio, surgeons will have a complete toolbox available for this new and emerging technique.

Laparoscopic procedures performed through a single incision are a significant evolution in the world of surgery. While laparoscopy traditionally offers better patient outcomes than does the open approach, including less pain and improved cosmesis, SILS(TM) procedures have the potential to dramatically extend these benefits.

Next: Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure »