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Bariatric Surgery Program


Treatments and Services

Bariatric Surgery programs at Dartmouth-Hitchcock include informational sessions, support groups, nutritional counseling, and exercise promotion in addition to surgical interventions that are specific to each location's program.

The following procedures are provided at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH and Elliot Hospital in Manchester, NH.


Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

Roux en Y Gastric Bypass

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass creates a small pouch from the stomach and connects the newly created pouch to the small intestine. After surgery, digested food bypasses most of your stomach and the first section of your small intestine. This surgery has been proven successful for long-term weight loss and is one of the safest surgical weight loss methods available.




Sleeve Gastrectomy

Sleeve Gastrectomy

Sleeve Gastrectomy removes a large section of the stomach, leaving a tube-shaped stomach about the size and shape of a banana. Limiting the size of your stomach restricts the amount of food you can comfortably consume. This procedure is performed laparoscopically.




Gastric Revision Surgery

Gastric Revision Surgery is done for patients who have had prior bariatric surgery with problems related to that surgery.





Bariatric surgery can help

Obesity is connected to many medical problems. If you lose weight and keep it off, your medical conditions are most likely going to improve.

After bariatric surgery, patients usually lose about one-half (50 percent) to two-thirds (66 percent) of their excess body weight. This is about one-third (33 percent) of their current weight. It is possible to lose more than 66 percent of your excess body weight after bariatric surgery, but this requires commitment to following the dietary guidelines, as well as the motivation and ability to exercise regularly.

Less than five percent of patients undergoing gastric bypass surgery reach their “ideal body weight”

Note: A patient can regain weight about two years after surgery, if he or she doesn't exercise regularly and follows an improper diet.

Through the weight loss you achieve after bariatric surgery, other benefits will occur, such as:

  • Elimination of pulmonary (lung) problems and sleep apnea – Bariatric surgery can eliminate sleep apnea in over 90 percent of patients. Shortness of breath is also likely to improve. Asthma also improves and the need for inhalers decreases.
  • Improvement in heartburn and reflux symptoms – Heartburn and other reflux symptoms associated with obesity improve in almost all patients after gastric bypass, however, can worsen following the sleeve gastrectomy.
  • Improvement in your outlook and self-esteem – Significant weight loss can help a patient feel a sense of accomplishment and improve their self-esteem. Many patients notice that they are no longer preoccupied with food, are in a better mood, and have increased stamina.
  • Improvement of blood pressure and cholesterol levels – Studies show that blood pressure and cholesterol levels may improve after bariatric surgery, largely due to the restricted diet a patient must follow after the procedure.
  • Reduction in diabetes medication – Over 90 percent of patients with obesity-related diabetes are able to stop insulin or oral medications, or decrease their doses significantly after bariatric surgery.
  • Reduction in the risk of heart disease – Since gastric bypass surgery will help you lose weight, your risk of heart disease is also decreased since obesity is a clear risk factor for heart disease.
  • Reduction of degenerative joint disease, arthritis, and back pain symptoms – Arthritis, degenerative joint disease, and back pain are not cured by bariatric surgery, but their symptoms may be reduced after surgery.


We are a nationally accredited center through the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). More information on surgical procedures, risks and complications can be found on their website. We will further discuss risks and complications during your meetings.