Weight Loss Specialist

What is medically supervised weight loss?

Medically supervised weight loss often includes diet recommendations, exercise prescriptions, and dietary supplements or weight-loss medications, if necessary, to help improve your overall health and well-being. 

At The Gastroenterology Practice, Dr. Shah makes achieving and maintaining weight loss simple, so you can improve or reduce the risk of conditions like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or other digestive issues.

What types of weight loss surgeries are available?

Gastric banding

Gastric banding is a minimally invasive procedure in which Dr. Shah places an adjustable band around the top of your stomach. This band creates a new smaller stomach pouch with a narrow passage to the rest of your stomach. 

Because your stomach pouch holds much less — around an ounce of food at a time — you eat considerably less food and can lose weight rapidly.

Gastric banding is very safe. It doesn't alter your stomach permanently in any way. Depending on your needs, Dr. Shah can loosen or tighten the gastric band at any time. 

When you attain and maintain your desired weight, you can also have a surgical procedure to remove the gastric band. 

Gastric sleeve 

Gastric sleeve surgery, also called sleeve gastrectomy, is an invasive procedure to remove around 80% of your stomach.

This procedure is a highly effective path to weight loss because it leaves just a slim tube (the sleeve) as your stomach. This surgery removes the portion of your stomach that makes ghrelin, the hunger-stimulating hormone. 

Your new stomach can hold around four ounces (half-a-cup) at a time. However, gastric sleeve is a permanent procedure. 

Gastric bypass

Gastric bypass is a type of weight loss surgery that changes how your stomach and small intestine processes food. Dr. Shah uses medical staples to divide your stomach into two smaller sections or pouches. The top pouch will store the food you eat. Since the pouch is around the size of a walnut, it can only hold around 1 ounce of food. As a result, it will make you will eat less.  

Dr. Shah connects the jejunum, a part of your small intestine, to a small opening in your top pouch. The food will travel from your top pouch into the new opening and into your small intestine. 

This process makes your body absorb fewer calories because it bypasses most of your stomach. 

If you’re interested in learning how medical weight loss could help you achieve optimal gastrointestinal health and happy life, call The Gastroenterology Practice in Queens, New York, or book online today.