What happens during bariatric surgery?

Bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery, involves making changes to your digestive system to help you lose weight. There are a few different types, but they all aim to either reduce the size of your stomach or change the way food enters your intestines.

During the surgery, you'll be under general anesthesia, so you'll be asleep and won't feel anything. The surgeon will make small incisions in your abdomen and then use special instruments to perform the procedure. 

For surgeries like gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy, they'll either remove part of your stomach or create a smaller pouch, which limits the amount of food you can eat. For procedures like gastric banding, they'll place a band around your stomach to restrict its size.

Once the surgery is done, you'll need some time to recover in the hospital before you can go home. After that, you'll have to follow a specific diet and exercise plan to help you adjust to your new stomach size and maintain your weight loss. Bariatric surgery isn't a quick fix, but it can be a helpful tool for people who are struggling with obesity and haven't had success with other weight loss methods.