Bariatric surgery
Helping you succeed in your weight-loss journey.
Live your best (and healthiest) life
Geisinger’s specialists can help you through your weight-loss journey so you can live your fullest life.
Bariatric surgery requires an ongoing commitment to lifestyle changes, both before and after surgery. At Geisinger, you are the center of your program — and you’re backed by an entire team. Our approach means you get a personalized program supported by obesity medicine physicians, dietitians and specially trained nurses. Consider us your weight-loss partners for life.
What is bariatric surgery?
Bariatric surgery refers to a group of procedures designed to help you lose weight and improve your overall health. It works in a few different ways, depending on the type of procedure you have. Bariatric surgery can help you by:
- Limiting how much food you can eat
- Changing your digestion
- Altering digestive hormones
Surgery is just one of the tools we offer as part of your treatment plan — we’ll also help you lose weight over the course of your lifetime through nutritional guidance and lifestyle education. If bariatric surgery is a part of your treatment plan, your care team will review your options to determine the procedure that will best meet your needs and goals.
Bariatric surgery requirements
Weight loss surgery may be right for you if:
- You’re 80 to 100 pounds overweight
- Your body mass index (BMI) is 35 or higher
- You have at least one obesity-related health condition, such as diabetes, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, a need for knee or hip replacement and many others
What types of bariatric surgeries are available to me?
Our bariatric surgical team specializes in endoscopic, minimally invasive and robotic-assisted bariatric surgery, which involves small incisions using precision instruments and a camera to guide the surgery. These approaches mean you’ll have less scarring, reduced pain, fewer complications and a quicker recovery.
We offer the following bariatric surgeries:
In a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, a surgeon creates a stomach pouch that causes the food to go straight from the pouch to the small intestine.
Geisinger is proud not just of the number of gastric bypass surgeries we’ve performed, but of the consistent outcomes our patients achieve. Our numbers speak for themselves:
| Geisinger Community Medical Center |
Geisinger Medical Center |
|
| Number of surgeries performed 2022-2024 |
418 | 877 |
| Surgical site infection | .47% | .34% |
| Bleeding | 1.20% | 1.48% |
| Leak | .23% | .11% |
| Related readmissions | 1.20% | 3.42% |
| Length of stay | 1.3 Days | 1.6 Days |
These results reflect our experience and dedication to safe, effective bariatric surgery that helps patients achieve lasting results.
A laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy procedure turns the stomach into a narrow tube with removal of much of the stomach.
At Geisinger, we’ve helped thousands of people transform their health through sleeve gastrectomy. Our outcomes demonstrate why so many patients trust us:
| Geisinger Community Medical Center |
Geisinger Medical Center |
|
| Number of surgeries performed 2022-2024 |
119 | 189 |
| Surgical site infection | 0% | 1.06% |
| Bleeding | 0% | 2.65% |
| Leak | 0% | 1.06% |
| Related readmissions | 1.68% | 2.65% |
| Length of stay | 1.3 Days | 1.7 Days |
Our experience, paired with a focus on safety and long-term success, makes sure patients receive care they can count on.
Bariatric surgery at Geisinger
Your weight-loss journey doesn’t end in the operating room. Geisinger combines nationally recognized surgical expertise with personalized support and proven recovery programs to help you achieve lasting results.
Award-winning care
Both of our bariatric surgery programs are nationally recognized for quality and outcomes. Geisinger Medical Center is designated a Blue Distinction Center of Excellence and an Optum/UnitedHealthcare Center of Excellence. Geisinger Community Medical Center holds the same designations and is also recognized as an Aetna Institute of Quality.
Leading surgeons
Our fellowship-trained bariatric surgeons are why Geisinger is a top bariatric surgery destination. They perform a high volume of procedures every year, giving them the expertise to deliver safer care, smoother recoveries and lasting results for our patients.
Personalized, holistic support
At Geisinger, surgery is just one part of your journey. From nutrition counseling and behavioral health support to ongoing follow-up visits, our team provides the tools, encouragement and personalized education you need to build healthier habits and sustain long-term success.
Safe, proven results
Bariatric surgery at Geisinger is part of our ProvenRecovery® and ProvenCare® programs, designed to help patients recover faster and return home sooner after surgery — all without the use of opioids. Because safety, consistency and better outcomes matter.
