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Obesity is the disease of excess fat storage with a number of associated diseases. It is a progressive disease which can be potentially life threatening and costly to treat. People who are severely obese are at high risk of developing serious health conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, orthopedic problems and sleep apnea. Unfortunately, traditional diets have poor success rates among those who are significantly overweight (100 pounds or more, or twice their ideal body weight).

The alternative is weight loss surgery – which is safer and less invasive than ever before. In addition to weight loss, individuals who have undergone weight loss surgery have experienced a 60-80 percent improvement with their obesity-related health problems.

UC Irvine Healthcare’s bariatric surgery services offers individuals in Orange County and surrounding communities the latest options for individuals contemplating surgery. Our team specializes in minimally invasive laparoscopic approaches to bariatric surgery, including the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, adjustable gastric banding and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

The bariatric surgery program at UC Irvine has been accredited as a Level 1a Bariatric Center by the American College of Surgeons Bariatric Surgery Center Network. The accreditation demonstrates that UC Irvine has the resources to successfully further surgical education and provide high-quality care to patients with greater opportunities for safe and effective outcomes.

Research

As a university medical center, UC Irvine is at forefront of discovering and developing the latest surgical techniques and interventions. UC Irvine’s bariatric surgeons are advocates of laparoscopy, in which diagnostic and surgical procedures are performed through keyhole incisions rather than large open wounds. In fact, UC Irvine published the first study directly comparing traditional open gastric bypass surgery with newer laparoscopic techniques.

The study showed that laparoscopic patients had less post-operative pain, a lower risk of infection, shorter hospital stays, a faster recovery and a more rapid improvement in quality of life.