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Bariatric surgery (gastric bypass / sleeve gastrectomy)
Category: General & Abdominal Surgery · All general & abdominal surgery
What it is
Bariatric surgery changes the stomach (and sometimes the bowel) to help people with severe obesity lose substantial weight and improve related conditions such as type 2 diabetes. The main operations are sleeve gastrectomy (removing most of the stomach, leaving a narrow tube) and gastric bypass (creating a small pouch joined directly to the small bowel).
Why it is done
It is considered for people with severe obesity whose weight seriously affects health and who meet specialist criteria after a full multidisciplinary assessment and attempts at non-surgical management, following local eligibility rules.
How to prepare
Preparation is extensive: dietetic, psychological and medical assessments, blood tests, sometimes a special pre-operative liver-shrink diet for a couple of weeks, and planning of medicines (including diabetes medicines). You fast before surgery.
What happens during the procedure
Both operations are usually keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic, taking one to two hours. You will have anti-clot measures (injections, stockings, early walking) because obesity surgery carries clot risk.
Afterwards — recovery & results
Hospital stay is usually one to three nights. Recovery includes a staged diet (fluids, then purée, then soft food), lifelong vitamin and mineral supplements with blood test monitoring, and close follow-up for at least the first couple of years. Weight loss is greatest over the first 12 to 18 months.
Risks & considerations
Risks include leaks from the new stomach joins, bleeding, infection, blood clots, narrowing, reflux (especially after sleeve), vitamin deficiencies if supplements are missed, and the need for further procedures. These operations are major and are undertaken only after full multidisciplinary evaluation of benefits and risks.
Watch: Bariatric surgery (gastric bypass / sleeve gastrectomy) videos
Real procedure videos from the MedicalVideos.com library. Some clinical footage is graphic — that is the nature of a medical video library.
Related guides on MedicalVideos.com
Frequently asked questions
Will I still need to diet after surgery?
Yes — surgery is a tool, not a cure on its own. Eating habits, portion sizes, protein and supplement routines, and activity determine long-term success.
What happens to diabetes after bypass or sleeve?
Many people see major improvement or remission of type 2 diabetes, sometimes within days of bypass surgery. Medicines are reviewed closely and often reduced.
Related procedures — General & Abdominal Surgery
Browse the B section of the A–Z list or return to the Procedures & Tests hub.