Bariatric Surgery

Lose the weight and find your health. Explore bariatric surgery at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro. This treatment can help you finally achieve your weight-loss goals, enjoy the freedom of physical activities and feel more confident than ever. It’s an investment in your future—and your healthiest self awaits.

Do I Qualify for Surgery?

You may be a candidate for bariatric surgery if you:

• Have a body mass index (BMI) of at least 40
• Have a BMI of at least 35 with an obesity-related health condition, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, joint pain or sleep apnea
• Are between the ages of 18 and 65
• Haven’t lost enough weight with diet, exercise or a medical weight-loss program
• Can commit to lifelong lifestyle changes

Benefits of Weight-Loss Surgery

By helping you reach a healthy weight, bariatric surgery may:

• Increase your energy level
• Relieve symptoms of chronic health conditions, such as heart disease and acid reflux
• Improve your sleep
• Enhance your mood
• Help you live longer

For these reasons, bariatric surgery can be one of the best gifts you give yourself.

Bariatric Surgical Procedures

Your surgeon will help determine your best option: sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass. Both procedures are minimally invasive, meaning they use small incisions. That leads to a quicker recovery, lower risk of side effects and less pain and scarring. Your surgeon may even use robotic technology to perform the procedure as precisely as possible.

Sleeve Gastrectomy

Gastric sleeve surgery removes about 80% of your stomach, including most of the part that makes hunger hormones. That means you won’t feel the urge to eat as often. When you do eat, you’ll feel full earlier because your new, banana-sized stomach holds less food.

Gastric Bypass

To perform gastric bypass, a surgeon divides your stomach into two parts:

• Small, top portion that’s only the size of an egg, so you feel full after eating less
• Larger, bottom portion that’s bypassed so it no longer digests food

Your surgeon also divides the small intestine and connects it to the new egg-sized pouch. This step lets food pass from your stomach to the bowels.

Gastric bypass surgery decreases hunger and reduces calorie absorption. It can also improve diabetes and heartburn, so the procedure may be an especially good option if you have these conditions.

Insurance Coverage

Many health insurance plans cover bariatric surgery. Call your insurance provider to confirm coverage, or ask us for help understanding your benefits.

Preparing for Bariatric Surgery

You’ll meet with our friendly bariatric coordinator, who will guide you through each step of your surgical journey. To make sure you’re physically and mentally ready for this life-changing treatment, you’ll:

• Learn about the diet and lifestyle changes you must start before surgery and maintain after surgery to keep weight off. (Bariatric surgery is a helpful tool, but it’s not a quick fix.)
• Receive preoperative lab, imaging, heart and/or gastrointestinal tests
• Receive a psychological evaluation

If you have a chronic medical condition, we may also need to get approval from your doctor before surgery.

Day of Surgery

You’ll receive general anesthesia to prevent pain and make you sleep during surgery. After you wake up, you’ll go to an inpatient room to stay the night. Most likely, you’ll return home in one or two days.

Diet Changes After Surgery

You’ll progress gradually from a liquid diet to soft foods to harder foods. Because bariatric surgery makes your stomach smaller, you’ll need to:

• Eat less and chew slowly and carefully
• Drink plenty of water between meals
• Take vitamins for the rest of your life to make sure your body gets all the nutrients it needs

We’ll recommend high-quality protein shakes and supplements that suit your tastes and preferences. Have questions about your diet? Call 870.243.0531 any time to reach the bariatric coordinator.

Long-Term Follow-Up Care

Count on us to take care of you long-term after bariatric surgery. You’ll have several follow-up visits in the first 12 months and see us annually afterward. We’ll make sure you recover well, help you adjust to your new lifestyle and provide the support you need to maintain a healthy weight for years to come.