Why choose Renuwell Bariatric Center?

Considered the gold standard in bariatric  surgery; the surgery to which we compare any new procedure. It has two mechanisms to achieve weight loss. First, is restriction: we divide the stomach, leaving a little portion with a capacity of less than 10% of the original one, leading to experience satiety with small portions of food. Second, we reconnect this little stomach portion directly to the small intestine, preventing 2 meters of small intestine from absorbing calories; this reduces the absorption of nutrients. This surgery –besides helping to ingest less calories– makes our body produce many hormones called incretins, that help reverse insulin resistance and diabetes. As many as 80% of the diabetic patients that decide to get this procedure, can leave all their Diabetes medications! That is why this procedure is the ideal for diabetic patients.  You must consider that besides malabsorption of calories, we also absorb less nutrients like vitamins and minerals, that is why we must supplement these after the surgery permanently.  This procedure helps us lose slightly more weight than a gastric sleeve –up to 85% of our excess weight.

Duodenal Switch surgery is the procedure with the best results, long term, in the objectives of losing weight and reducing metabolic diseases, but with the great disadvantage being the risk of malnourishment and deficiencies in minerals and vitamins, and the need of greater supplementation. Duodenal switch procedure is reserved for patients with a very high BMI (>47) or as a second procedure in weight regain after a gastric sleeve surgery.

Bariatric surgery has proven to be very effective in weight loss; but after a while, if we don’t keep good nutritional habits, we might regain the weight. In these cases, we can offer several revisional procedures that offer a second chance at getting into the right track. These procedures might need to convert one procedure to a different one, for example:

*Regain Gastric Sleeve can be converted to: Gastric Bypass, Duodenal Switch, Mini Gastric Bypass or intestinal bipartition.

Or redo part of the previous procedure in a different manner:

*Regain Gastric Bypass: the procedure can be revised to enlarge the amount of small bowel not absorbing nutrients, make a smaller gastric pouch or a smaller gastrointestinal union, this increases food restriction.

*Failed gastric band: removing the band and performing a gastric sleeve or gastric bypass surgery.

Also called One Anastomosis Gastric Bypass is different from the gastric bypass, since we leave a slightly larger stomach and only perform one anastomosis from the stomach to the small bowel. Calling it “mini”, however, doesn’t mean it is simpler or makes us lose less weight; on the contrary, it makes us lose more weight, but also can makes us absorb less vitamins and minerals, that is why we recommend to leave this option to patients that have a higher BMI and more excess weight.  This surgery also is recommended when we have metabolic diseases (Diabetes, Hypercholesterolemia o hypertriglyceridemia, etc.). After this surgery it is also recommended to take vitamin and mineral supplements in a permanent way.

The most commonly performed bariatric surgery around the world, because of its excellent results and lower impact on nutrient absorption. Consists in reducing gastric capacity from around 1lt volume, to only around 100ml; that means, you will be satisfied by eating only around 10% of what you normally eat. Gastric Sleeve surgery also helps to produce less Ghrelin, “the hunger hormone”, this will help the body to eat less feeling satisfied and without craving new food ingesture soon. Gastric Sleeve Surgery can help you lose around 75% of excess weight –results might vary for each patient. If you change habits and include physical activity in your everyday life, you will be able to reach your ideal weight! Keep in mind, Gastric Sleeve Surgery is not a reversible procedure, the good news is that the effect is also permanent.