Bariatric surgery is a group of surgical procedures for weight loss that reduce the size of your stomach, change your metabolism or remove part of your intestines so that you absorb fewer calories from food.
MU Health Care’s weight loss surgery experts can help people who have not found sustainable success with other forms of weight management reach, and stay at, their goal weight. From presurgical consultations to expertise in the operating room to long-term nutrition and exercise support, our weight loss surgeries are part of a larger weight management plan that puts you and your health first.
Bariatric Surgeries We Offer
MU Health Care offers several weight loss surgery options to best meet your needs. During your evaluation, your doctor will help you understand which procedure best fits your goals and health history.
- Gastric bypass surgery: This reversable procedure creates a small pouch from the upper stomach and connects the pouch to the jejunum, helping weight loss through restricting stomach capacity and bypassing part of the digestive process
- Gastric sleeve surgery: This procedure removes most of the stomach and helps patients lose weight by reducing the amount of food they can eat
- Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch: This surgery keeps the pylorus at the bottom of the stomach intact while removing part of the stomach, and connects the duodenum to the bottom of the small intestine, resulting in weight loss because fewer calories are absorbed
- Weight loss revision surgery: This surgery can improve side effects and improve weight loss from partially successful or unsuccessful weight loss surgeries
Do I Qualify for Bariatric Surgery?
If you are considering weight loss surgery, you should talk with your primary care doctor or schedule an appointment with a weight management expert to find out if surgery is the right choice for you.
At MU Health Care, your safety and success are our top priority. Our experts work closely with you to help decide if you qualify for weight loss surgery and, if so, which option matches your goals and health history.
To be a candidate for bariatric surgery, you must:
- Have a body mass index (BMI) starting at 35 with other weight-associated health conditions or a BMI of 40 and above
- Be willing to make changes to your lifestyle, diet and exercise habits
- Meet specific insurance requirements, whether you are on Medicare, Medicaid or another insurer
Take Our Weight Loss Assessment
Long-Term Support for Weight Loss Success
Bariatric surgery is a lifelong commitment. To ensure long-term weight management success, you’ll continue to receive support and encouragement from your patient-focused medical team long after your procedure is over.
We have the tools you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle, including:
- Nutrition counseling
- Bariatric support group that meets the first Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the Weight Management and Metabolic Center office and are shared via Facebook Live
- Private Facebook group where you can find fellowship with other patients
- Video visits for follow-up appointments
What Sets Us Apart
At MU Health Care, our medical weight loss team includes a nationally accredited bariatric surgery team as designated by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program. Our bariatric doctors are certified by the American Board of Surgery and meet the criteria of a comprehensive center as established by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Our pediatric weight management program also evaluates adolescents who may be eligible for bariatric surgery.
Additionally, we are an Optum Center of Excellence, performing the most successful weight loss procedures in mid-Missouri as deemed by all the major insurance companies. Together, this makes us the largest bariatric care team in the region and the only comprehensive weight loss program in mid-Missouri. As part of an academic health system, our doctors stay up to date on the latest weight loss surgeries and research.
