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Bariatric (Weight Loss) Surgery

Contact Us

In Springfield

413-794-7020

In Greenfield

413-773-2626

We are still accepting new patients

Our top priority is the health and well-being of our patients, families, staff, and community. In light of COVID-19, we have decided to use telehealth services to continue to see patients.

We are accepting new patients into the Bariatric Surgery program via our online education seminar video. Please watch the video, accessible through this page, and submit your information through our secure form. Someone from our office will be in contact with you shortly to schedule a telehealth visit.

Get Started

About Bariatric Surgery at Baystate Health

At Baystate Health, weight loss surgery is not just an operation. It is a total approach to reducing your weight and improving your health. As we prepare you for successful bariatric surgery, we’ll help you overcome the medical, social, and emotional factors that contribute to weight gain.

Our multidisciplinary approach to your care, along with our minimally invasive surgery techniques, means you can expect a safe and successful surgery.

Getting Started with Bariatric Surgery

You can count on our weight loss experts at Baystate Health to help you through every phase of your journey – from learning and planning before surgery to post-surgery counseling and nutrition help.

Who Qualifies for Bariatric Surgery?

Weight loss surgery is an option for people who are severely obese (about 100 lbs. over your ideal body weight and a BMI (body mass index) of 35 and above) and cannot lose weight with diet and exercise alone. Improving your lifestyle, eating right, and staying active is still important. Calculate your BMI. 

What is the Screening Process?

If you are interested in weight loss surgery at Baystate Health, you will go through an in-depth screening process. We want to make sure you are a good candidate for weight loss surgery and that you know what to expect.

The screening process starts with a general information session. Then, you will have appointments with a physician assistant, a dietitian, a surgeon, and a psychologist.

You are also required to attend at least three support group meetings before surgery. Talk with your primary care provider about what type of weight loss surgery is best for you.

Where Can You Get Bariatric Surgery?

Certain surgeries are performed at both Baystate Medical Center (our accredited center in Springfield) and the new Baystate Franklin Surgical Center in Greenfield.

Your Weight Loss Team at Baystate Health Icludes:

  • Bariatric surgeons in Greenfield and Springfield
  • Physician assistants
  • Dietitians
  • Psychologists
  • Medical assistants and nurses
  • Mental health providers

BAYSTATE MEDICAL CENTER, AN ACCREDITED CENTER FOR BARIATRIC SURGERY

Our program meets national safety and outcomes standards for all bariatric surgery patients. Baystate Medical Center is an accredited center for weight loss surgery by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), which involves a strict review of our procedures, staff, and facilities.

More Information About Bariatric Surgery at Baystate Health

Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass (Roux-En-Y)

This procedure is offered at Baystate Medical Center.

In laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery, the surgeon makes small incisions, or cuts, in your abdomen. A small camera and the tools needed to perform the operation are inserted through these cuts.

Then, the surgeon creates a small pouch from your stomach and connects this pouch directly to your small intestine.

After your surgery, any food you swallow will go into this small pouch of stomach and then directly into the small intestine. Food then goes around—or “bypasses”—a part of your original stomach and small intestine so that a portion of calories and nutrition are not absorbed.

You can expect to lose up to 60% your excess weight in the first two years after gastric bypass.

Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

During a sleeve gastrectomy, about two-thirds of your stomach is removed. It leaves a thin tube-shaped – or “sleeve”-shaped – stomach.

After surgery, food enters this sleeve. You will feel full after less food and you will consume fewer calories.

You can expect to lose up to 55% of your excess weight during the first two years after the sleeve gastrectomy.

Changes in Your Diet After Weight Loss Surgery

What you eat before and after surgery is a very important part of your weight loss journey. Your dietitian will help you understand the diet in detail.

Right after surgery, you will move through five stages of eating – from liquids to soft foods to solids. These stages make sure that you are eating safely and getting the right nutrition.

You will also be required to take complete multivitamins and calcium supplements every day after your surgery, for the rest of your life.

The Baystate weight loss team, and our support groups, can guide you through these lifestyle changes.

Calculate Your BMI (Body Mass Index)

If you have a BMI of 35 or higher, you may be a candidate for bariatric surgery. 

BMI is a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people, and is used to screen for potential health problems based on weight category. You can use the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) calculator to learn your BMI and the corresponding weight category.

If you have questions or would like to start the weight loss surgery screening process, call 413-794-7020.

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