Bariatric Surgery is the clinical name for weight loss surgical procedures, including Gastric Bypass, LAP-BAND® and REALIZE® Band surgery. At the New Jersey Bariatric Center the goal of all procedures is to reduce the amount of food that the stomach can hold, leading to a feeling of fullness quickly and then weight loss due to less calorie consumption in order to lower ones risk of medical problems associated with obesity.

Bariatric Surgery at the New Jersey Bariatric Center

Initially surgeons performed open bariatric surgery, they created one large incision to open the abdomen for the operation. Now, thanks to technological advances, skilled surgeons at New Jersey Bariatric Center perform the procedures laparoscopically.

When a laparoscopic operation is performed, a small video camera is inserted into the abdomen. The surgeon views the procedure on a separate video monitor. The camera and surgical instruments are inserted through small incisions made in the abdominal wall. This approach is considered less invasive because it replaces the need for one long incision to open the abdomen. A recent study shows that patients who had laparoscopic bariatric surgery - gastric bypass, LAP-BAND® or REALIZE® Band - experience less pain after surgery resulting in easier breathing and lung function and higher overall oxygen levels. Additional benefits of laparoscopy are shorter hospital stay and fewer wound complications such as infection, scarring, or hernia; patients return more quickly to pre-surgical levels of activity.

The latest technological advance in bariatric surgery is single incision laparoscopic gastric band surgery, where surgeons reduce the operative site to a single small incision around the belly button. This frequently results in minimal patient discomfort and a barely visible scar compared to traditional laparoscopic band surgery requiring four or five small incisions. The surgeons at the New Jersey Bariatric Center were the first in New Jersey to perform this groundbreaking laparoscopic procedure that results in less pain, less scar tissue and faster recovery to normal activity.