After having her LAPBAND surgery at St. Francis in January 2005, Mary is 100 lbs lighter but more importantly she is healthier and happier! See Mary's TV Spot (6MB)

Free Weight Loss Surgery Seminars

We offer free seminars on weight loss surgery at several Puget Sound locations. Come and learn about the different surgeries, pre and post surgery care, how to deal with insurance companies and more. Hear directly from one of the dedicated bariatric surgeons and from actual patients!

Find locations and dates here.

Web Seminars

View a web seminar

Make The First Step

If you are ready to make the move toward a healthier, more energetic you, contact us for an initial consultation to see if weight loss surgery is right for you:
St. Francis Center for Weight Management
St. Francis Hospital Medical Office Building, Suite #310,
34509 Ninth Ave. So., Federal Way, WA 98003
1-800-823-6525
nww8mgt@fhshealth.org

Types of Surgery

The American Society for Bariatric Surgery describes two basic approaches that weight loss surgery takes to achieve change:

• Restrictive procedures that decrease food intake.
• Malabsorptive procedures that alter digestion, thus causing the food to be poorly digested and incompletely absorbed so that it is eliminated in the stool.

Most weight loss surgeries can be done either as laparoscopic or traditional, open procedures.

The St. Francis Center offers a complete range of weight loss surgeries at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way including:

• Adjustable Gastric Band (AGB) - the least invasive and most reversible option
• Roux-en-y Gastric Bypass (RGB) - the most common gastric bypass procedure
• Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass (LGB) - time tested for long-term weight loss, now performed laparoscopically
• Duodenal Switch - reserved for patients with serious weight-related issues
• Sleeve Gastrectomy - the newest available weight loss surgery

Special Pricing for LAP-BAND!

For self-pay patients, the St. Francis Center for Weight Management is offering the most competitive packaged price for LAP-BAND surgery in the Pacific Northwest: $12,800.00 includes the hospital, surgeon, and anesthesiologist fees. For more information, call us at 1-800-823-6525.
 

Laparoscopic or minimally invasive surgery

For the last decade, laparoscopic procedures have been used in a variety of general surgeries. Many people mistakenly believe that these techniques are still "experimental." In fact, laparoscopy has become the predominant technique in some areas of surgery and has been used for weight loss surgery for several years. Although few bariatric surgeons perform laparoscopic weight loss surgeries, more are offering patients this less invasive surgical option whenever possible.

When a laparoscopic operation is performed, a small video camera is inserted into the abdomen. The surgeon views the procedure on a separate video monitor. Most laparoscopic surgeons believe this gives them better visualization and access to key anatomical structures.

The camera and surgical instruments are inserted through small incisions made in the abdominal wall. This approach is considered less invasive because it replaces the need for one long incision to open the abdomen.

A recent study shows that patients having had laparoscopic weight loss surgery experience less pain after surgery resulting in easier breathing and lung function and higher overall oxygen levels. Other realized benefits with laparoscopy have been fewer wound complications such as infection or hernia, and patients returning more quickly to pre-surgical levels of activity.

Laparoscopic procedures for weight loss surgery employ the same principles as their "open" counterparts and produce similar excess weight loss. Not all patients are candidates for this approach, just as all bariatric surgeons are not trained in the advanced techniques required to perform this less invasive method.

The American Society for Bariatric Surgery recommends that laparoscopic weight loss surgery should only be performed by surgeons who are experienced in both laparoscopic and open bariatric procedures.

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Credit: Special thanks to LAP-BAND manufacturer InaMed, formerly BioInterics, for use of illustrations and graphics.