Most bariatric surgeries can be performed using a minimally invasive technique called laparoscopic bariatric surgery. During this type of procedure, the surgeons make five or six tiny incisions instead of one large incision to perform the operation. The surgeons use an instrument similar to a telescope, which is placed in the abdomen after it is inflated with gas. The laparoscope is then connected to a tiny camera allows the surgeons to perform the surgery by viewing it on a screen.

There are many benefits to laparoscopic bariatric surgery. By eliminating the large abdominal incision, patients generally recover more quickly and experience less pain following the surgery. Also, the occurrence of complications such infections and hernias are significantly reduced with the use of laparoscopes. Many laparoscopic surgery patients find that they have a better cosmetic result, with smaller incisions and less scarring.

Gastric banding is particularly well-suited as a laparoscopic procedure, and laparoscopic removal of the band is also possible once sufficient weight loss has been achieved.

In some cases, patients with prior surgeries or who are very morbidly obese may not be eligible for laparoscopic bariatric surgery. In rare cases, patients who encounter problems during laparoscopic surgery may awake to find that their surgeons have had to perform open surgery instead.