Weight Loss Surgery 101 - Restrictive vs Malabsorptive Surgery

All forms of bariatric surgery can be classified as either malabsorptive, restrictive, or a combination of the two. It's important to understand these terms, because they will have an impact on your lifestyle and long-term health after your weight loss surgery.

Malabsorptive weight loss surgery
Malabsorptive can be literally translated as "relating to bad absorption." This type of surgical procedure alters your digestion process. As a result, it can lead to the incomplete absorption of certain vitamins and minerals from your food. This is why many Dallas bariatric surgeons will recommend vitamin supplementation afterward. Gastric bypass surgeries fall into this category.

Restrictive weight loss surgery
This type of procedure decreases food consumption by reducing the size of the stomach, which eventually leads to weight loss as well. This is achieved by dividing the stomach into a small upper pouch and a larger lower portion. Gastric banding procedures such as the LAP-BAND fall into this category.

Combination surgery
Certain types of surgery for weight loss (such as the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass) are both restrictive and malabsorptive. The Roux-en-Y segments the stomach while also reshaping the intestines, thus it combines both concepts into one surgery.

What to Take Away
The important thing to remember here is that malabsorptive and restrictive surgeries both have their advantages and disadvantages, and that they will affect your long-term health in different ways. When considering surgery for weight loss, be sure to consider these two concepts and the effects associated with them.

Also, keep in mind that a surgeon or surgery center that specializes in a certain type of weight loss surgery will often tout that type of procedure as being the best. Clearly, these folks are biased on the subject. So in your research, be sure to include less biased sources of information, such as governmental studies, university research and the like.

Brandon Cornett is the publisher of Bariatric City, an online resource that provides bariatric information specific to certain cities across the U.S. (such as this latest guide to Gainesville bariatric procedures). Learn more by visiting http://www.bariatriclearningcenter.com/city