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Weight Loss Through Surgery

Being overweight can affect the way that people feel about themselves and how they interact with others. Often, concerns about appearance overshadow the real health risks associated with being overweight.

Over half of this country's adult population is overweight.  In addition to the emotional and social consequences, people who are overweight are at risk for many conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and certain types of cancer. In fact, "overnutrition" contributes to approximately 300,000 deaths per year in the United States and is second only to smoking as a preventable cause of death.

The good news is that even with moderate weight loss, as little as 10 or 15 percent of body weight, can reduce health risks, prolong life and enhance self-esteem.

Obesity surgery, also called bariatric surgery, may be a treatment option for some individuals who are 100 pounds or more overweight and have been unsuccessful in losing weight with other methods. Patients undergo stomach surgery to reduce food consumption.

The program offers three different surgical options, using either laparosopic or traditional open approaches:  

Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch (BPD/DS)
• Removes a portion of the outer side of the stomach
• Decreases the remaining portion of the stomach to about five to eight ounces
• Preserves the pylorus, so it can still function normally
• The stomach begins at about the size of a soda can and typically doubles in size as time passes  

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYN)
• Can be performed in either a traditional open surgery or as a laparoscopic procedure
• Reduces the stomach from the size of a large grapefruit to the size of a golf ball
• Decreases the amount of food the stomach can physically hold
• Reconfigures the small intestine so food bypasses the first and second segment of the intestines (about two or three feet)
• Reduces the efficiency of nutrient absorption  

Lap-Band System
• Restricts how much the stomach can hold by laparscopically placing an adjustable silicone elastomer band around the upper part of the stomach
• Band is pulled around the stomach to form a ring, and a locking part securely holds the band in a circle around the stomach
• No cutting or stapling is needed to divide the upper stomach  

In addition, we offer:
• Quality care backed by the resources of one of the region’s most respected academic medical centers
• A program dietitian, specializing in bariatric nutrition
•  A recovery team, trained in the specialized needs of bariatric patients, is available on a highly skilled nursing unit that features private rooms
• An insurance specialist to assist with insurance authorizations
• Collaborations with other specialties, including psychology, psychiatry, physical and occupational therapy and pulmonary medicine, to ensure the full-continuum of care
• Access to primary care physicians, for medical and surgical weight loss support
• Monthly educational seminars for program candidates
• Monthly post-operative patient support groups
• Long-term patient follow-up, with educational and nutritional support

To be considered for our program contact us:
The Department of Surgery is located on the 3rd floor of Creighton University Medical Center.

To Contact Us:
Office: 402.449.4088
Toll-Free: 866.669.3012
Fax: 402.280.3440

Creighton University Medical Center
601 North 30th Street
Omaha, NE  68131