Basics
Learn More
See, Play and Learn
Resources
For You
Summary
Weight loss surgery helps people with extreme obesity to lose weight. It may be an option if you cannot lose weight through diet and exercise or have serious health problems caused by obesity.
There are different types of weight loss surgery. They often limit the amount of food you can take in. Some types of surgery also affect how you digest food and absorb nutrients. All types have risks and complications, such as infections, hernias, and blood clots.
Many people who have the surgery lose weight quickly, but regain some weight later on. If you follow diet and exercise recommendations, you can keep most of the weight off. You will also need medical follow-up for the rest of your life.
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Living With
- Gastric Bypass Diet: What to Eat after the Surgery (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- Bariatric Surgery (Endocrine Society)
- Body Contouring After Major Weight Loss (American Society of Plastic Surgeons)
- Dieting and Gallstones (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
- Dumping Syndrome (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Specifics
- Bariatric Surgery Procedures (American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery)
- FAQs of Bariatric Surgery (American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery)
Health Check Tools
- Calculate Your Body Mass Index (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish
Statistics and Research
- Estimate of Bariatric Surgery Numbers, 2011-2021 (American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery)
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Bariatric Surgery (National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Gastric Bypass (National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Visceral Block in Bariatric Surgery: A Pilot Double Blind Randomized Clinical...
- Article: METABOLIC DYSFUNCTION-ASSOCIATED STEATOTIC LIVER DISEASE - ASSESSMENT OF PATIENTS WITH OBESITY...
- Article: Ramped versus sniffing position for Ambu® AuraGainTM insertion in patients with...
- Weight Loss Surgery -- see more articles
Find an Expert
- ABSMS Directory Search (American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery)
- Find an Obesity Medicine Clinician (Obesity Medicine Association)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Teenagers
- Gastric Sleeve Surgery (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Weight Loss Surgery (Nemours Foundation)
- Weight Loss Surgery: An Option for Teens? (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Diet after gastric banding (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Gastric bypass surgery (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Gastric bypass surgery - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Laparoscopic gastric banding (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Laparoscopic gastric banding - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Vertical sleeve gastrectomy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Your diet after gastric bypass surgery (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish