Bariatric Surgery in Amarillo, TX
BSA Health System’s bariatric doctors are committed to helping your achieve your weight loss goals and live a healthier, more active lifestyle. Our weight loss clinic has earned recognition from Blue Cross Blue Shield as a Blue Distinction Center, exemplifying our ability to deliver high quality care and outstanding weight loss results. We provide various weight loss surgery options, including gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy, for patients who qualify. No matter your needs, our skilled weight loss surgeons are here to provide education and support throughout every stage of your weight loss journey.
Qualifications for Weight Loss Surgery
Bariatric surgery is known to be one of the most effective and long-lasting treatments for obesity and other health-related conditions such as Type II diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and obstructive sleep apnea. Patients who qualify for bariatric surgery fall into one or more of the following categories:
- They are unable to maintain a healthy weight with previous weight loss efforts
- Their BMI is equal to or more than 40, or they are more than 100 pounds overweight
- Their BMI is more than 35 with one or more obesity-related health condition
Weight Loss Surgical Treatments We Provide
We offer multiple options for patients who qualify for bariatric surgery. Patients will first undergo a consultation with our weight loss specialists to determine which procedure is right for you. Before your consultation, please verify insurance coverage with your provider.
Our bariatric surgeons provide the following weight loss surgical procedures:
Gastric Sleeve, or Sleeve Gastrectomy
This procedure is performed by removing approximately 80% of the stomach. The remaining stomach will be considerably smaller and helps to reduce the amount of food that is consumed.
Benefits of this procedure include:
- Causes rapid and significant weight loss
- Causes favorable changes in gut hormones that suppress hunger, reduce appetite, and improve satiety
- Requires no foreign objects or re-routing of food movement through the body
- Results in a shorter hospital stay
Biliopancreatic Diversion With Duodenal Switch
This treatment has two components. First, a smaller, tubular stomach pouch is created by removing a portion of the stomach in a process that is very similar to a sleeve gastrectomy. Next, a large portion of the small intestine is bypassed.
Benefits of this procedure include:
- Allows patients to eventually eat close to normal meal portions
- Is the most effective bariatric surgery option to battle diabetes
- Reduces the absorption of fat by 70% or more
- Results in greater weight loss than other surgeries
This procedure requires strict adherence to dietary and vitamin supplement guidelines, and the risk for complication and mortality is higher than with other procedures.
Gastric Bypass, or Gastric Gastrectomy
This procedure creates a bypass for food to travel through by first creating a small pouch in the stomach and the connecting it to a part of the small intestines. This helps reduce caloric and nutrient intake.
Benefits of this procedure include:
- May result in an increase in the patient’s energy level
- Results in significant long-term weight loss
- Restricts the amount of food that can be consumed
After Weight Loss Surgery
Bariatric surgery helps you jump start your weight loss surgery, but maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle are vital parts of the post-surgery process. Our bariatric team is here to help you every step of the way. After your surgery, you will be given a detailed care plan with specific instructions from your physician. This will include information about your dietary intake, as well as exercise and meal plans, home care instructions, and a schedule of recommended follow-up appointments.
Throughout your weight loss journey, we encourage our patients to attend free weight loss support groups. These meetings are held on the third Monday of every month and are open to patients who have had weight loss surgery or are considering surgery. Each support group is led by a licensed professional counselor who offers their insight into the psychological aspects of undergoing weight loss surgery.
For more information about our support groups, please call 806-212-4571.
