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UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Bariatrics Program offers the following list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about laparoscopic surgery, open gastric bypass surgery and obesity.

Why should I choose UT Southwestern for my weight-loss surgery?

Our Bariatrics Program is nationally recognized for its effective treatment of obesity. Our Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery is one of only seven facilities in North America, and the only one in Texas, to be accredited by the American College of Surgeons.  

Other reasons to choose UT Southwestern include:

• Surgeons at UT Southwestern performed the first Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in Texas in 1999
• In 2001, the Bariatrics Program was the first in the Dallas area approved to perform the Lap Band procedure.
• UT Southwestern’s specialists have performed approximately 4,000 procedures and have trained more than 100 surgeons from across the U.S. in how to effectively perform laparoscopic gastric bypass and adjustable gastric banding procedures.

Why use surgery to treat obesity?

Obesity is a significant health issue that contributes to the development of numerous critical or disabling disorders including coronary heart disease, high cholesterol levels, hypertension, Type II diabetes mellitus, degenerative joint disease and obstructive sleep apnea. Weight-loss surgery has been shown to improve or reverse these illnesses, increase psychological well-being and improve quality of life. For example, adult-onset diabetes improves in more than 90 percent of patients, with about 80 percent becoming medication-free, including insulin. Hypertension and high cholesterol levels typically improve; obstructive sleep apnea, shortness of breath and other respiratory difficulties such as asthma improve or are completely eliminated in the majority of patients; and acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD) is frequently cured immediately.

How do I know if I am a candidate for weight-loss surgery?

An individual’s body mass index (BMI) is the preferred indicator of obesity and is measured by a person’s weight divided by the square of their height. A BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 is considered overweight, a BMI greater than 30 defines obesity and a BMI greater than 40 represents severe or morbid obesity. For more information, please see Are You a Candidate?

How much weight should I expect to lose?

For the gastric bypass procedure, average initial weight loss exceeds 70 percent of excess weight, and long-term studies have demonstrated that weight loss is maintained at more than 50 percent in greater than 90 percent of patients. For patients who have had the Lap Band procedure, average weight loss is 10 percent to 15 percent less than observed in patients who receive the gastric bypass procedure.

How does Lap Band surgery allow me to lose weight?

The Lap Band procedure involves reducing the size of the stomach using an adjustable band that restricts the amount of food intake, creating a small pouch at the top of the stomach that can hold only a small amount of food. For more information, please see the About the Procedure section.

What are the benefits of Lap Band surgery?

Patients who have Lap Band surgery realize dramatic weight loss over a one-year to two-year period and experience a reduction or complete elimination of health complications related to obesity, including coronary heart disease, gallbladder disease, high cholesterol levels, hypertension, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and respiratory problems and Type II diabetes mellitus.