Bariatric Surgery at Johnson City Medical Center

What is bariatric surgery?

Bariatric surgery (or weight-loss surgery) includes surgical procedures done on the stomach and/or intestines in order to induce weight loss in patients who meet certain criteria.

How can bariatric surgery help me?

When combined with a comprehensive treatment plan, bariatric surgery can be an effective tool to provide you with long-term weight loss and improve your quality of health.

Bariatric surgery has been shown to help improve or resolve many obesity-related conditions, such as:

Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
Heart disease
and more

Often after losing losing weight, patients find themselves taking less and less medication to treat obesity-related conditions.

Lives-changed bariatric patient stories – Learn how bariatric surgery has helped change these patients’ lives.

Bariatric surgery services

Johnson City Medical Center offers two bariatric procedures:

Laparoscopic Roux-En-Y gastric bypass – A small pouch is formed from the top part of the stomach and a portion of the small intestine is bypassed. This way weight loss is achieved in two ways: through restriction of the amount of food one can eat, and through decreased absorption of calories. Weight loss is usually rapid with most of the weight being lost in the first year. The procedure is performed through small incisions in the abdomen. Most patients go home after a 2 to 3 day stay in the hospital.
Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy – The sleeve gastrectomy is a restrictive procedure that causes weight loss by reducing the size of the stomach to initially hold about three ounces. In all, 75% to 80% of the stomach is surgically removed with no re-routing of intestines. This procedure is performed through small incisions made in the abdomen.

Benefits of laparoscopic bariatric surgery

With laparoscopic weight-loss surgery, most patients experience:

Less blood loss
Less postoperative pain
Fewer postoperative complications associated with wound infections
Shorter recovery times

Bariatric surgery accreditation

JCMC is accredited by The Joint Commission and the American College of Surgeons-American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

The Joint Commission National Quality Approval gold seal graphic American College of Surgeons and American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accredited Center Quality Program badge graphic

Ready to learn more?

For more information about bariatric surgery and how it might be able to help you and whether – or to find out if you qualify – please call (423) 431-1992.

Pre-operation educational videos

Roux-En-Y gastric bypass

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy

Patient education and nutrition guides

Support groups

Whether you are have questions about weight loss surgery, recently had surgery or had it several years ago, our support groups are an important part of your weight-loss surgery journey.

Support groups are designed to help with the everyday situations your can face following surgery. Support groups are also a great opportunity for patients to come together, share personal stories and find a common connection with others who have had weight-loss surgery.

To register for a support group please call (423) 431-1992.

Additional resources

Recipes

Bariatric resources