For patients wanting mini gastric bypass California is one of the states offering this quick and minimally invasive weight loss surgery. Because obesity is reaching epidemic proportions in the United States, many patients are seeking surgical treatments for this significant public health issue. Obesity is a contributing factor to heart disease, diabetes, cancer and high-blood pressure. While all weight loss surgeries have inherent risks, the mini gastric bypass is considered by some the least risky, as patients recover quicker, have less pain after surgery, and the procedure itself takes only about 30 minutes.

Dr. Richard Rutledge, a twenty year veteran of weight loss surgery developed the mini gastric bypass method, where the stomach is divided into a smaller sleeve and the sleeve is attached to the small intestine about six feet down. The smaller stomach size reduces the amount of food a person can comfortably eat, and the absorption of calories from food is reduced when much of the small intestine is bypassed. These two changes lead to the significant weight loss of patients who follow the post-surgical instructions and change their eating habits permanently.

The mini gastric bypass is growing in popularity, as it is often less expensive for patients, and the hospital stay is about 24 hours instead of 5 to 7 days with traditional gastric bypass surgery. Independent studies that reviewed mini gastric bypass with standard Roux en Y surgery generally showed that the results were similar in terms of weight loss and potential complications. The laparoscopic nature of the procedure also reduces pain and swelling at the wound site. Not all states have facilities and trained surgeons to perform this procedure. For patients wanting mini gastric bypass California, North Carolina, Florida, Arkansas, Michigan and Missouri all have hospitals and surgeons offering this weight loss option. Other states are being added to this list as more surgeons and facilities are trained to perform the mini gastric bypass procedure.