Bariatric surgery can be life-altering, providing a tool to help people lose weight. It is also highly complex, requiring a program that offers both a lifestyle behavior modification program and experienced surgeons who can offer several different procedures – so they can help select the surgery that is right for you.

At USC University Hospital, our Bariatric Surgery Program offers a tradition of excellence that dates back to 1992. We provide a continuum of services – from a comprehensive pre-surgical evaluation and physical to sophisticated surgery to postoperative follow-up.

At the USC Bariatric Surgery Program, we have helped many people experience improved health, enhanced self-esteem and a more active, enriched lifestyle. And we may also help you achieve permanent weight reduction.

The USC Bariatric Surgery Program is designed for individuals who are either 100 pounds overweight or 75 pounds overweight with a serious medical condition such as uncontrollable hypertension or diabetes. Another indicator for surgery is a body mass index (BMI) greater than 40.

Program Services Include:

• Active Support Group
• Peer insight and encouragement
• Intense physical evaluation
• Nutritional counseling
• Postoperative visits and calls

Postoperative Programs:

• Laboratory testing and monitoring
• Nutrition and exercise guidance
• Behavior modification exercises
• Psychological evaluation
• Surgery education

At USC University Hospital we have also tailored our inservices to meet the special needs of bariatric surgery patients. In the surgical service, we have a specially equipped operating room to accommodate larger patients, including the operating room table, X-ray equipment and surgical instruments.You will also find thoughtful amenities including gowns that fit, big wheelchairs and beds, and large commodes. This is all provided in a compassionate environment that stresses respect for the patient and families.

One of the many strengths of the USC Bariatric Surgery Program is that it involves a multidisciplinary team who are also members of the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. 

The team includes Board Certified general surgeons and other trained physician specialists such as anesthesiologists, psychiatrists and psychologists, cardiologists, gastroenterologists and plastic surgeons. Patients also benefit from a compassionate, skilled support staff including nurses, registered dieticians, physical therapists and an experienced counselor/patient advocate who coordinates the aspects of a patient’s care.

The USC Bariatric Surgery Program offers three different surgeries:

• Distal Gastric Bypass with the Duodenal Switch
– This operation entails removal of approximately 75 percent of the stomach to initially decrease the amount of food one can consume. The food that is ingested is then re-routed to the last (distal) half of the small intestine, "bypassing" the final half of the intestine so that food absorption is decreased. Bile is also diverted away from the food that is ingested so that fats are properly absorbed.

• Laparoscopic (Minimally Invasive) Roux-en-Y
– In this innovative, minimally invasive technique, the surgeon makes five small incisions through which a camera and long tools are threaded. Then a 150 cm segment of the small intestine is created and it is sutured to a tiny gastric pouch. The small intestine absorbs nutrients from food, but with less intestine, the body takes in fewer calories. Much of the stomach is then resected, leaving it a small pouch about the size of a plum. The pouch is sealed with tiny sutures before reconnecting it with the intestine, restricting food intake.

• LAP-BAND Adjustable Gastric Banding System
– This minimally invasive surgery is designed to induce weight loss by restricting food consumption. It involves applying a prosthesis (the LAP-BAND) around the stomach – creating a small gastric pouch – and a calibrated opening to the rest of the stomach. By creating a smaller gastric pouch, the LAP-BAND System limits the amount of food that the stomach will hold at any time. The inflatable ring controls the flow of food from this smaller pouch to the rest of the digestive tract. The patient will feel comfortably full with a small amount of food. And because of the slow emptying, the patient will continue to feel full for several hours – reducing the urge to eat between meals.

Following surgery, the medical professionals at the Bariatric Program develop a follow-up program to meet each patient’s needs, helping to promote achievement of a patient’s weight-loss goal. The program components include:

• Post-operative visits and calls
• Laboratory testing and monitoring
• Nutrition and exercise guidance
• Behavior modification exercises
• Support group meetings

Since surgery is merely a tool to help lose weight and keep it off, it is essential for patients to commit to lifestyle behavioral changes in areas such as nutrition, exercise and stress management.

For More Information

The decision to undergo bariatric surgery is a highly personal one - and one that requires a great deal of information. We invite you to attend one of our free seminars to learn more about the program including benefits, risks and side effects so patients understand the surgical process. Please click here to register for one of our free seminars.

A dedicated USC Bariatric Surgery Program coordinator is available to answer your questions or schedule an appointment. For more information, call 1-888-700-5700.