Am I a Candidate for Weight-Loss Surgery?

Dr. Mustafa Ahmed is our board-certified bariatric surgeon who has spent much of his medical career focusing on the cause and consequences of excess weight. Both he and our team at Southern Nevada Bariatrics in Las Vegas are committed to providing the assistance you need to accomplish your weight-loss dreams.

We offer a wide variety of services that encourage rapid but healthy weight loss, including medically sound nutritional support, effective treatment for obesity-triggered conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, and the most advanced and effective types of bariatric surgery available. 

Here’s what Dr. Ahmed wants you to know about weight-loss surgery and who is likely to benefit from the procedure.

Understanding the various types of weight-loss surgery

There are several types of weight-loss surgery available that are designed to support your efforts to lose excess pounds.

Dr. Ahmed is skilled in all these procedures, but there are a couple he recommends more often than others due to their reliability, effectiveness, and long-lasting health benefits. These include gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy.

Gastric bypass

Gastric bypass is the oldest and most common type of bariatric surgery. During the procedure, Dr. Ahmed reduces your stomach’s size and connects the resulting “pouch” to your small intestine. This causes your digestive tract to absorb fewer calories overall and greatly decreases hunger, helping you feel fuller faster.

Sleeve gastrectomy

During a sleeve gastrectomy, Dr. Ahmed staples your stomach in half and removes the larger portion, leaving you with a smaller, tube-shaped stomach about the size of a banana. Like gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy minimizes the number of calories you absorb. The surgery also reduces your hunger by removing the portion of your stomach that produces most of the “hunger hormone.”

Both these surgeries are highly effective at helping individuals reach and maintain their desired weight. Interestingly, the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery notes that both procedures offer significant improvements in adult-onset diabetes even before weight loss occurs.

These procedures differ, however, in that sleeve gastrectomy is performed laparoscopically, which requires smaller incisions than the traditional open surgery used during gastric bypass. Thus, risks during and after the procedure are less and, healing time is often much faster due to less trauma to surrounding muscles and other tissues within the abdomen. 

When should I consider weight-loss surgery?

Dr. Ahmed notes that none of the weight-loss surgeries available should be considered a miracle cure for obesity. They are, however, powerful tools that can help you achieve both the cosmetic results and significant health benefits of successful weight loss.

Each case is different but, in general, good candidates for weight-loss surgery include individuals with:

Dr. Ahmed notes your commitment to establishing healthy nutrition habits, a regular exercise routine, and other lifestyle changes that amplify the benefits of weight-loss surgery help determine your success.

What can I expect during a weight-loss consultation?

Our team at Southern Nevada Bariatrics takes a comprehensive approach to weight loss that includes a:

Note that our programs are designed to offer encouragement and support before, during, and after your journey as we focus on helping you achieve and maintain your weight-loss goals.

When you reach your goal, Dr. Ahmed also offers various cosmetic procedures, such as a tummy tuck or breast lift, to help enhance your weight-loss results.

Whether you’re 10 pounds or 100 pounds overweight, we can help. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Ahmed at Southern Nevada Bariatrics today.