Bariatric surgery physically alters the gastrointestinal tract (GI) by gastric restriction, intestinal modifications or both to induce weight loss and potentially metabolic benefits (1-3). Bariatric surgical procedures can (1-3):
- reduce food intake by gastric restriction only (e.g. laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), vertical banded gastroplasty (VGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG))
- create malabsorption by bypassing varying amounts of the upper intestine (e.g. biliopancreatic diversion