At the Center for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery at Cooper University Health Care, our specialists devote their entire practice to caring for patients who choose weight-loss surgery. In fact, our team has performed thousands of bariatric procedures. After a consultation and presurgery testing, our expert physicians help you determine what type of surgery is best for you.
We view bariatric surgery as a tool that enhances your ability to lose weight and keep it off. Surgery is just one part of our wider approach to help you reach your weight goals. We also provide a holistic view of your care, encouraging lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and changing the way you think about food.
Testing for Weight-Loss Surgery
At a consultation with one of our surgeons, you will learn about the testing you need to complete before surgery. Our staff can work with your primary care doctor to coordinate these tests:
- Medical tests: To make sure you’re healthy enough for surgery, medical testing may include bloodwork, urine tests, and special exams to check your heart, lung, and digestive tract.
- Psychological evaluation: You may also need to speak with a psychologist before weight-loss surgery. This conversation will cover emotional changes associated with weight loss, your support system, and the long-term commitment needed to sustain healthy lifestyle changes.
Surgical Approaches to Weight Loss
Weight-loss surgery reduces the size of your stomach and restricts the amount of food you can eat. Depending on the procedure you have, it can also change your metabolism, or your body’s ability to absorb food and turn it into energy.
Our fellowship-trained surgeons offer the following weight-loss surgery options, which we perform using minimally invasive techniques:
- Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB): For this procedure doctors create a small digestive pouch from the stomach and connect it directly to the small intestine. People typically lose 50 to 75 percent of their excess weight in the first 12 to 18 months after RYGB. This procedure also changes your metabolism, because food begins digesting farther down the tract where your body absorbs fewer calories and nutrients. Learn more about Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.
- Vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG): With vertical sleeve gastrectomy, surgeons remove a large portion of the stomach and create a new, smaller stomach in the shape of a tube. People typically lose 50 to 60 percent of their excess weight within two to five years after surgery. VSG does not change the way your body processes food and nutrients. Learn more about vertical sleeve gastrectomy.
- Laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB): The surgeon places a small, bracelet-like band around the top of the stomach to restrict the amount of food a person can eat. The degree of band tightness affects how much food you can eat and the length of time it takes for food to leave the stomach pouch. This surgery does not change the way food passes into the intestines or the way the body processes food and nutrients. People typically lose 45 to 72 percent of their excess weight three to six years after surgery. Learn more about the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band.
Our team does not perform laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) surgery because the procedure is outdated. However, we do provide follow-up care for people who have undergone the procedure elsewhere. We can also adjust the band during an outpatient procedure, if needed.
Nonsurgical Approaches to Weight Loss
Losing weight and keeping it off require more than just weight-loss surgery. These nonsurgical changes are an essential part of your weight-loss treatment plan:
- Healthy diet: Our nutritionists help you develop healthy eating plans to lose weight and manage conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
- Exercise: We work with you to develop a safe work-out plan that incorporates cardio, strength, and flexibility exercises. Our physical therapists help you get moving and teach you how to include more activity into your daily routine.
- Behavior modification: Your thoughts and emotions can have a huge impact on your eating habits. Our psychologists are available to help you get to the root of these issues and create lasting change. Mindful eating, or focusing all of your attention on the taste, texture, smell, and sight of what you’re eating, can also be beneficial.
Get Started
- Join Us: Free online weight loss surgery informational seminar, register here.
- For an appointment or consultation, schedule online or call 856.673.4500.
- If you are a doctor who wants to refer a patient to Cooper, please call 856.673.4500.