UW Medicine - Bariatric Surgery Homepage

For over 25 years, the Center for Bariatric Surgery’s expert team has provided patients with a tailored, multidisciplinary approach to weight loss surgery.

At UW Medical Center, the bariatric surgery team has provided weight loss management care to residents of the Northwest and beyond for more than 25 years. Our team offers both laparoscopic and open weight loss surgeries to help patients who are obese to lose weight and regain their health. We know these operations have an enormous impact on patients’ lives and that is why our comprehensive program provides patients’ individualized care and exceptional service to support them every step of the way.

The Center for Bariatric Surgery at UW Medical Center is a nationally recognized center for weight loss surgery and is one of only six centers in the country funded by the National Institutes of Health to study outcomes of bariatric surgery. This places UW Medical Center at the forefront of the field of weight loss management surgery—an experienced, highly qualified team providing patients with excellent surgical and follow-up care.

Our approach to weight loss surgery

Our patients are treated as unique individuals. Each with specific health needs and life goals.

Our physicians carefully assess a patient’s health history, medical issues and body type so that the patient receives the right surgery and appropriate follow-up care to ensure a successful outcome and to help them improve their overall quality of life.

Not only do we tailor our care to each individual, it is our goal to make certain patients receive the support and education they need to make informed decisions and to enable them to make a life-long commitment to a new way of life. This is why UW Medical Center patients are provided with extensive education, counseling and support both before and after surgery.

Attend a free seminar

If you are considering weight loss surgery, you are invited to attend a free seminar to meet our staff and learn more about our program, insurance coverage, as well as other topics related to weight loss surgery. Our staff will be happy to answer your questions.

For seminar location and times, call 206-598-5879.

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Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding

Providers: Oelschlager, Brant K., Wright, Andrew S. Last Updated: Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Low-calorie diets, exercise programs, behavioral modification programs and medications are usually unsuccessful for the long-term management of morbidly obese patients. Bariatric surgery is a proven way to help severely obese patients lose weight when all other methods have failed.

At UW Medical Center, we perform the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and the adjustable gastric band (LapBand). Each of these operations has advantages and disadvantages. Both can result in significant, sustained weight loss and improved health. There are distinct differences in the operations and in the post-operative care required.

In some circumstances, our bariatric surgery team also offers other weight loss operations, such as the sleeve gastrectomy procedure.

The Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band (LAGB or Lap-Band) operation is a very effective tool that can help patients lose weight and improve their health. This procedure involves placing a band around the top section of the stomach to decrease the stomach size and to curb hunger.

People who undergo banding lose, on average, two-thirds of their excess weight. Losing this weight can have a very positive impact on patients’ lives, including significant improvement in their overall quality of life, as well as elimination and/or resolution of serious health problems, including diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension and osteoarthritis.
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