Which weight loss surgery is the best? New research compared the three types of weight-loss surgery in more than 46,000 patients worldwide including gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy and adjustable gastric banding (also known as lap band).

The study found that gastric bypass surgery boasted the greatest weight loss both short- and long-term on people, but that procedure also had the highest rates of complications in the month following surgery.

“There are trade-offs”. Bypass is more effective for weight loss, but has a greater risk of short-term complications. People need to consider, ‘What do I value most?’ Is safety my biggest concern? Or, is it the magnitude of the weight loss?” said study lead author Dr. David Arterburn. He’s a senior researcher at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle.

The doctor added that it’s important to consider other weight-loss treatments, such as medication.

Nearly 25,000 people in the study had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. This procedure involves making the stomach smaller and bypassing part of the small intestine, according to the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). After this surgery, people get fuller on much less food, and the body doesn’t absorb as many calories.

Almost 19,000 people in the study had sleeve gastrectomy, which involves taking out a portion of the stomach so that you get fuller faster.

Finally, more than 2,500 people had adjustable lap-band surgery. A surgeon places an inflatable band around the top of the stomach, leaving only a small pouch that can be filled with food. The rest of the stomach is filled with a balloon containing saline solution that is attached to the band, according to NIDDK.

The study found that gastric bypass appeared to be most effective for weight loss:

• Gastric bypass surgery resulted in an average 31 percent loss of total body weight in the first year and 25 percent of total body weight after five years.
• Sleeve gastrectomy led to a 25 percent loss in total body weight in the first year and 19 percent loss of total body weight after five years.
• Adjustable gastric banding led to a 14 percent total weight loss after a year and 12 percent at five years.

The above-mentioned means that each body functions very differently and that is important to talk to a health provider to determine what works best for you. Although newer research shows that by-pass works the best on people, your IBM and other health considerations should be considered before you enter a weight-loss plan.