What Is a Bariatric Surgeon?
A bariatric surgeon is a doctor who performs gastric bypass and other types of surgeries that help you lose weight. They’re sometimes called metabolic surgeons. Your bariatric surgeon will make changes to your stomach or other parts of your digestive system with the goal of making it easier for you to lose weight after surgery.
While bariatric surgery can have benefits for people who need it, it does come with risks. So if you and your doctor have decided to make it part of your obesity treatment plan, it’s important to find a bariatric surgeon you trust. It will also help to know more about the various surgeries these doctors do and what kinds of qualifications you’d expect your surgeon to have.
Keep in mind too that your bariatric surgeon will support you long after your surgery. You want to choose someone whom you can trust and talk to about any questions or concerns you may have, both now and in the future.
What Does a Bariatric Surgeon Do?
A bariatric surgeon can do different types of surgeries, all of which may help you lose weight and reduce your risks of other health problems that come with extra weight. These procedures do this by changing:
- The structure and size of your stomach to limit the amount of food you can take in
- The way your digestive system burns fat
- The hormones your intestines make that affect your appetite
Your bariatric surgeon will look at your health, your current weight, and any other conditions you may have as they decide which type of surgery to recommend to you. Procedures they may suggest include:
Gastric bypass
This is also called Roux-en-Y. Your bariatric surgeon will create a small pouch from your stomach and connect it to your small intestine. As a result, your stomach will be smaller, so you’ll feel full after eating less. The food you do eat will bypass most of your stomach and some of your small intestine, where some calories are absorbed.
Sleeve gastrectomy
In this procedure, your surgeon will use small instruments to remove about 80% of your stomach so you feel full with less food. They’ll leave you with a tube-shaped stomach that’s about the same size and shape as a banana.
Gastric band surgery (Lap-Band)
Your bariatric surgeon will surgically implant an adjustable band to help you lose weight by limiting how much food your stomach can hold. The FDA-approved band device will make your stomach smaller without making permanent changes.
Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD-DS)
This procedure is for people who have serious obesity – a BMI of 50 or higher. It makes your stomach smaller and also removes part of your intestine that digests and absorbs food. It helps you lose more weight. But it has more risks, and bariatric surgeons don’t do it as often.
Mini-gastric bypass
This surgery is also called a single-anastomosis gastric bypass. It’s a simpler version of a traditional gastric bypass or Roux-en-Y procedure. Your surgeon will make only one new connection, creating a loop that makes your stomach smaller. As a result, this surgery is easier to do and takes less time.
Intragastric balloon
A bariatric surgeon will place a saline-filled balloon inside your stomach. While a bariatric surgeon may do this procedure, it’s temporary and doesn’t involve surgery.
Endoscopic sleeve gastronomy
In this minimally invasive procedure for weight loss, a bariatric surgeon or endoscopist will place a suturing device down your throat to your stomach. They’ll use stitches to make your stomach smaller.
Vertical banded gastroplasty
Your bariatric surgeon will use staples and a band to make a pouch with a dime-sized opening at the bottom that leads to the rest of your stomach. They’ll wrap plastic tissue or mesh to help keep the opening from stretching out.
Vertical sleeve gastrectomy
Your surgeon will use staples to remove a big part of your stomach. After the procedure, your stomach will hold about a quarter-cup of water or other liquid. Over time, it will expand to fit one cup of food.
Jejunoileal bypass
Bariatric surgeons don’t do this form of bypass surgery anymore because it can lead to serious short- and long-term complications. It was made popular in the late 1960s and connects part of the upper intestine to the lower intestine to bypass more than 90% of the small intestine.
How Do You Become a Bariatric Surgeon?
Bariatric surgeons follow a lengthy process and spend many years getting their education and training.
Education
Bariatric surgeons are medical doctors. This means that they need to go to a college or university for 4 years to get a bachelor’s degree. After taking the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), they attend medical school for another 4 years.
Bariatric surgery residency
Doctors, including bariatric surgeons, also complete a residency training program that takes at least 3 years before they can practice medicine. Residencies match students up with their chosen medical specialty or subspecialty. In a general surgery residency, they will learn the skills to treat patients with obesity with weight loss surgery, or bariatric surgery.
Bariatric surgery fellowship
After residency, doctors in training get more experience with weight loss procedures in a bariatric surgery fellowship. These may be 1-year programs that give them a chance to develop laparoscopic or other skills with experienced bariatric surgeons and do more complex weight loss surgeries. While a bariatric surgery fellowship isn’t required, it’s a chance for early-career bariatric surgeons to get more experience.
To get a bariatric surgery fellowship, students must complete a general surgery residency at an institution that’s accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. They also need to be board-eligible or certified with the American Board of Surgery, and meet requirements for a medical license in the state where the fellowship is located.
Bariatric surgery certification
All doctors, including bariatric surgeons, must be licensed in the state in which they practice medicine. While it’s not required, a skilled bariatric surgeon will likely wish to get board certification in their subspecialty. This means that they’ve shown exceptional expertise in bariatric surgery. Your bariatric surgeon may be board-certified by the American Board of Surgery or the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery. They also may get certified by the American Board of Obesity Medicine. Board certification tells you that your surgeon has completed training and meets a high level of professional standards.
A bariatric surgeon may also be a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. To do this, they must be board-certified and have served as the primary surgeon on at least 25 bariatric surgeries in the last 2 years.
Questions to Ask a Bariatric Surgeon
Experience
Experience is especially important, as people who have more experienced surgeons tend to have quicker recoveries and fewer complications. Ask your bariatric surgeon about their education, training, and experience in bariatric surgeries. You can check to see if they are board-certified and whether they are members of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
Ask your surgeon how many bariatric surgeries they’ve done and about their success and complication rates. If you’re interested in a particular type of bariatric surgery, find out how many of those they’ve done. You also may want to ask about their experience and training in minimally invasive techniques. Robotic surgery is becoming more widespread in the field of bariatrics, so it’s a good idea to find out if your doctor uses this method and how long they’ve practiced it.
Consider asking a surgeon for references or testimonials from past patients. A good and qualified surgeon shouldn’t hesitate to answer any questions you may have about their experience.
These questions will help you understand the general weight loss surgery process and what to expect:
- What type of surgery do you recommend and why?
- What will recovery be like?
- How much weight can I expect to lose?
- How fast will I lose weight after the surgery?
- When will the weight loss taper off, and how do I maintain a healthy weight?
- What will eating be like after surgery?
- Should I make an appointment with a nutritionist or dietitian?
Surgery team
Your bariatric surgery team may have many other members, including:
- Anesthesiologist
- Dietitian
- Nurses
- Psychologist or psychiatrist
- Additional specialists to treat other conditions you may have
Ask your bariatric surgeon who will be on your team and if you can meet them.
Complications
Any surgery will come with risks. Ask your bariatric surgeon about the risks and benefits and any potential complications of bariatric surgery you should be aware of. Find out what they would do in the event of a serious complication, including how likely it is that you may need to have another surgery.
Hospital admitting privileges
Ask your bariatric surgeon where they’ll do the surgery. If your surgery won’t take place in a hospital, ask if they have admitting privileges at a local hospital and where. When a doctor has admitting privileges, it means that they could admit you to the hospital if needed and could provide services to you in the hospital.
Bariatric surgery options
You may have a variety of bariatric surgery options to consider since there are different types. Ask your bariatric surgeon what they recommend for you and why. Ask them to help you think through the pros and cons of your various options so you can decide together whether and how to proceed. Ask if it’s an option to have robotic or laparoscopic surgery instead of open surgery.
Bariatric surgery cost
Experts estimate that the average cost of bariatric surgery is $17,000-$26,000. Many things will affect the price tag, so ask your bariatric surgeon how much you can expect your surgery to cost, including all deposits, anesthesia, and follow-up appointments. Your health insurance provider or Medicare may cover all or part of your care, depending on the procedure and if you meet certain requirements. Check with your provider and be sure that you understand your coverage.
Bariatric Surgeon Takeaways
Bariatric surgeons are general surgeons who specialize and spend much of their time doing bariatric, or weight loss, surgeries to help people who have obesity and other medical conditions that are related to it. It’s a good idea to ask your bariatric surgeon about their experience and expertise. Ask them also about your bariatric surgery options, their possible complications, and what you can expect from each of them.
Bariatric Surgeon FAQ
How do you find a bariatric surgeon?
You may find a bariatric surgeon by asking your doctor for a referral. You can also ask friends or others in your community for their recommendations if you know someone who may have had bariatric surgery in the past.
You also can find tools online to help you find a surgeon based on where you live and the type of bariatric surgery you’re interested in. The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery has a “Find a Surgeon” tool that lets you look for member surgeons within a given distance of your home, filter for surgery types, and look up doctors by name.
