What are the risks associated with weight loss surgery?
A certain amount of risk occurs with any operation. The degree of risk varies with the type of surgery, and both the past and current health of the patient. Your St. Alexius NewStart surgeon will review all of the potential risks and benefits.

How long does the procedure and recovery take?
Both procedures take approximately 1-2 hours. With the LAP-BAND, patients typically spend the night at the hospital, and are able to return to work in one week. With Gastric Bypass, patients typically stay 2-3 days at the hospital, and are able to return to work in two weeks.

What kind of results can I expect to see?
The average LAP-BAND weight loss in a United States clinical study was approximately 50% of excess weight, 2-3 years after surgery.

In one gastric bypass study, the average weight loss after one year was 101.2 lbs and after five years was 75.9 lbs.

Will I have a lot of excess skin?
The more a person weighs prior to the surgery, the more excess skin they will have. Exercise can help, but sometimes it is not sufficient and patients choose to undergo plastic surgery. We recommend that you wait one year after surgery to make a decision regarding plastic surgery.