About Bariatrics & Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery (weight loss surgery) is a term that encompasses many different types of surgery. Among the more common terms is the term gastric bypass. Gastric bypass surgery refers to operations used to treat morbid obesity.

The term bariatrics was coined in the mid-1960s, from the Greek root bar- ("weight," as in barometer), suffix -iatr ("treatment," as in pediatrics), and suffix -ic ("pertaining to"). Bariatrics covers diet, exercise and behavioral therapy approaches to weight loss, as well as pharmacotherapy and surgery. This website covers our surgical treatments for obesity.

One example of bariatric surgery performed in our Sutter Health hospital in San Francisco, California, is gastric bypass surgery. A gastric bypass first divides the stomach into a small upper pouch and a much larger, lower "remnant" pouch and then re-arranges the small intestine to allow both pouches to stay connected to it. One gastric bypass operation, for example, is called Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.

How Gastric Bypass Surgery Works -
Roux en Y example

The top portion of the stomach is separated and stapled off from the larger, lower portion of the stomach, creating a restrictive one ounce pouch. The pouch is then connected to a channel of intestine that carries only food, causing food to bypass the rest of the stomach and a section of the small intestine. The intestine is divided into two distinct channels
to prevent food and digestive juices from mixing, resulting in malabsorption of calories from food.
co-morbid conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Losing the weight through bariatric surgery can cause a dramatic reduction in co-morbid conditions.

All individuals are different, so your best first step is an initial consultation to find out if bariatric surgery is right for you. You can email us or call 415-923-3200 to set up this appointment in our San Francisco or Novato, California office.

About Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation

Consult a Top Bariatric Surgeon

Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation, part of the Sutter Health network, offers bariatric surgery for weight loss. Our team performs surgery at California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC). Procedures include gastric bypass, gastric banding with LAP-BAND^® or REALIZE^® and stomach stapling procedures. Our weight loss surgeon performs bariatric, gastroenterology and endocrine surgery on patients from San Francisco Bay Area cities including San Francisco, Marin, San Mateo, Oakland, Walnut Creek, and beyond.

San Francisco Weight Loss, GI & Endocrine Surgery Office (MAP)
1375 Sutter Street, Ste 208, San Francisco, CA 94109
Tel. 415-923-3200 Fax. 415-923-3205

Marin Weight Loss, GI & Endocrine Surgery Office
101 Rowland Way, Ste 220, Novato, CA 94595
Tel. 415-923-3200 Fax. 415-923-3205