Darwin Private Hospital offers a range of weight loss services to eligible patients. Weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, uses advanced procedures and surgical treatment to assist patients with weight loss. Our bariatric surgeons work with patients to help them achieve sustainable weight loss and improved their medical conditions, ultimately improving their quality of life.
What is weight loss surgery?
Weight loss surgery (also known as bariatric surgery) includes a range of surgeries that help patients lose excess weight, helping alleviate health conditions such as diabetes, blood pressure and heart issues.
There are many different types of bariatric surgery that either restrict the size of the stomach, so the patient feels full after eating only a small amount of food or reduce absorption of food by changing how food is digested. The services offered at Darwin Private Hospital are described below. Your surgeon will discuss the best option for you during your consultation.
Weight Loss Procedures
Also known as a sleeve gastrectomy.
This surgery permanently removes the majority of your stomach, around 85%. After the surgery, patients will feel full after eating a small amount of food since their stomach is so much smaller.
Patients may also feel less hungry because the part of the stomach removed is the main area where Ghrelin (the hunger hormone) is produced. Ghrelin levels post-surgery drop significantly which decreases feelings of hunger.
Hospital stay is usually between two to five days.
The Gastric Balloon is a non-surgical intervention option for weight loss. An inflatable silicon balloon is placed inside the stomach via a gastroscope that enters through the mouth. Once inserted into the stomach, the empty balloon is filled with saline solution and can be kept in place for up to six months.
The balloon helps weight loss by limiting how much can be eaten and helping patients feel fuller faster.
Hospital stay is usually one day.
Gastric bypass surgery decreases the size of the stomach and changes how the stomach and small intestine absorb food.
During the procedure, the stomach is divided with staples to create a small pouch in the top part of the stomach. This pouch is attached to the lower part of the small intestine so food bypasses most of the stomach and the first part of the small intestine.
The larger part of the stomach remains in the body and will continue to produce digestive juices to help with digestion. However, this detached portion of the stomach will no longer come in contact with food.
This results in less food being absorbed into the body and a feeling of satiety after eating only a small amount.
Hospital stay is usually between three to five days
Also known as Omega loop gastric bypass or mini-bypass.
The surgery is similar to the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass in that it divides the stomach with staples to create a small pouch in the top part of the stomach. However, in this surgery there is only one anastamosis (the new connection made between two parts of the body) instead of the two that are made in the Roux-en-Y procedure.
The larger part of the stomach remains in the body and will continue to produce digestive juices to help with digestion. However, this detached portion of the stomach will no longer come in contact with food.
Hospital stay is usually three to five days.
Also known as SIPS (Stomach Intestinal Pylorus Sparing Surgery), Single Anastomosis Duodeno-Ileal Switch (SADIS) or biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch.
This surgery is more complex than the others as it involves two separate surgeries. First a sleeve gastrectomy is formed, where the majority of the stomach is removed.
Next, just after the sleeve, the first part of the small intestine immediately after the stomach (called the duodenum) is divided and formed the upper part of the small intestine and a loop of intestine is brought up to the upper part of the duodenum where the gastric sleeve enters. This bypasses about half of the small intestine which reduces the amount of calories absorbed.
Weight loss surgery is unsuccessful in a small proportion of patients, for varied and complex reasons; perhaps you've had medical complications such as intolerable reflux or you haven’t had the results you were hoping for. Our surgeons can work with you to rectify any issues you may have.