Mark Smolik, MD and Joel Rand, PA


MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center

What is bariatric surgery?

Bariatric (weight-loss) surgery is performed on patients with obesity who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 35 and/or 100 pounds overweight. If you fall into this category and haven’t had success with other weight loss solutions, your health care provider may suggest bariatric surgery. This surgery has become even less invasive with the use of robotic surgery.

How does a robot perform surgery?

Although it’s called “robotic surgery,” your robotic surgeon will operate the da Vinci Xi Surgical System, which features surgical arms with tiny wristed instruments that bend and rotate 360 degrees, far greater than the human hand. A special camera provides the surgeon with magnified 3D views of the surgical area. With the robotic system, your surgeon controls the instrument and camera’s every move, resulting in more precision and control. Surgeons who perform robotic surgery have had specialized training and earn certification as a robotic provider.

What are the benefits of robotic bariatric surgery?

Because of the magnified view and tiny instruments on the robotic system, recovery time after surgery may be decreased. With robotic surgery, you may have less pain, scarring, blood loss and risk of infection. Because of these benefits, robotic surgery is becoming more and more common.

How is robotic different than laparoscopic surgery?

Both are minimally invasive procedures performed in a hospital operating room while you are under general anesthesia. Here are the main differences:

  • A robotic system provides the surgeon more range of motion with the use of the rotating “wrists.”
  • The equipment used in laparoscopic surgery involves straight, usually stainless steel, surgical instruments that are not wristed like the robotic system.
  • Laparoscopic surgery is performed by hand and with the use of a surgical instrument and laparoscope that’s a thin telescope with a video camera. This offers the surgeon a 2D view on a screen during surgery.
  • The 3D view of the robotic system’s camera magnifies the surgeon’s view by 10 times for more precise incisions.
  • Robotic surgery typically offers you a shorter recovery time.

What type of bariatric surgeries are performed with robotics?

  • Gastric sleeve: Most of your stomach is removed, leaving a gastric sleeve area that’s approximately the size of a banana. Your surgeon will cut and staple your stomach at the same time. The remaining gastric sleeve doesn’t change where food enters and leaves your stomach, but the amount of food it can hold is reduced, because your stomach is approximately 80% smaller than before the surgery. By changing the way food passes through your body, hormones affecting your metabolism and weight may change.
  • Gastric Bypass: Like gastric sleeve surgery, this procedure reduces your stomach size, but it also reroutes your small intestine to decrease food absorption. This surgery will reduce the amount of food your stomach can hold, so you’ll have decreased hunger and feel full more quickly. Just like gastric sleeve, by changing the way food passes through your body, hormones affecting your metabolism and weight may change.

Robotic bariatric surgery can be life-changing

After recovering from either of these surgeries, your health care provider will help you make lifestyle changes with diet and exercise to ensure you maintain a healthy weight. Bariatric surgery not only helps you reduce your weight, but it also improves or eliminates many obesity-related conditions, such as diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension, pulmonary disease and heart disease. If you think you’re a good candidate for weight-loss surgery, ask your provider about robotic bariatric surgery, and learn how bariatric surgery has transformed the lives of MercyOne patients.

Are you a candidate for bariatric surgery? Take our health risk assessment today!