UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital

Bariatric Surgery

If you have been struggling to maintain a healthy weight with diet and exercise alone and you have a large amount of weight to lose, bariatric surgery may be right for you. The bariatric team at UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital works to improve long-term quality of life. Bariatric surgery can help you achieve substantial weight loss and prevent the complications associated with obesity. 

Experts in weight loss surgery

We are proud to be the provider of choice for patients and referring doctors in South and Central Texas. Our surgeons have undergone years of advanced fellowship training in minimally invasive weight loss procedures. We deliver expert surgical outcomes with a compassionate, patient-centered approach. What’s more, our safety outcomes surpass national averages for bariatric surgery.

Types of weight loss procedures we offer

Our weight loss specialists use a comprehensive, multidisciplinary program to assess, support, educate and provide treatment. Our board-certified surgeons have deep experience and offer the most advanced bariatric surgical procedures available today. These include:

  • Gastric bypass, or Roux-en-Y: reduces the size of the stomach and removes some of the small intestine
  • Gastric sleeve, or sleeve gastrectomy: removes a large part of the stomach to create a tube-like pouch
  • Lap band bariatric surgery: places an adjustable band around the top portion of the stomach
  • Revision bariatric surgery: corrects a previous bariatric surgery procedure

Preparing for bariatric surgery

Your care team will advise you on changes you’ll need to make to your diet and lifestyle before undergoing weight loss surgery. You will need to commit to regular physical activity and may need to see a mental health professional. Some people need to lose a certain amount of weight before qualifying for their surgery. You should have a plan in place for support at home after weight loss surgery.

Recovery from weight loss surgery

You will spend time in the hospital after bariatric surgery. You will be on a liquid diet directly after your surgery, then soft foods and then gradually returning to a solid food diet. Your diet will focus on small portions, lean proteins and avoiding carbohydrates and fatty, fried foods. This will be a lifelong change to your diet. Your care team will advise you about your activity levels and when you can return to exercise, school and work. 

Lifelong care and support after Bariatric surgery

Our team approach to caring for our patients lasts beyond successful surgery and weight loss. In fact, we continue to provide support and care in the years to come. Our specialists find special joy in being part of the positive lifelong journey surgical weight loss brings to our patients’ lives.

Revision bariatric surgery

As weight loss surgery continues to improve over time, we now know that some of the procedures that bariatric surgeons did in the past have not been effective over time. For this reason, our surgeons offer revision bariatric surgery for those who qualify. Revision surgeries are also sometimes appropriate for people who have newer procedures. One type of revision surgery we offer is for the vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG). 

Candidates for revision weight loss surgery

A revision operation may be beneficial if you have: 

  • Persistent complications from your surgery 
  • Not reached your weight loss goal

Minimally invasive revision bariatric surgery

If you originally had open weight loss surgery with a large incision (cut), you may now qualify for a minimally invasive, laparoscopic procedure. This provides many potential benefits, including: 

  • Less risk of infection
  • Quicker recovery
  • Shorter downtime 

Revision operations can carry a higher risk than the first surgery. Our team of experienced surgeons will work with you to determine if the benefits of a revision surgery outweigh the associated risks.