Gastric Bypass

The Gold Standard in Bariatric Surgery. Safe and proven, a Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass will leave you with a small gastric pouch and small outlet, which upon distention causes sensation of satiety. As compared with Open Bypass, patients have less post-op pain, lower wound morbidity, equal weight loss and less impairment of pulmonary function.

Before choosing a weight loss surgery option, it’s a good idea to understand what bariatric surgery procedures are available. Gastric bypass surgery is currently the most commonly performed obesity surgery in the United States and has been proven to be an effective way to help morbidly obese people achieve and maintain weight loss success. Today, the gastric bypass procedure most frequently performed is known as a “Roux-en-Y gastric bypass”.

Watch this video to learn more about gastric banding.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery uses a combination of restriction and malabsorption. During the procedure, the surgeon creates a smaller stomach pouch. The surgeon then attaches a Y-shaped section of the small intestine directly to the pouch. This allows food to bypass a large portion of the small intestine, which absorbs calories and nutrients. Having the smaller stomach pouch causes patients to feel fuller sooner and eat less food; bypassing a portion of the small intestine means the patient’s body absorbs fewer calories.

After gastric bypass surgery, you will need to make significant lifestyle changes in order to achieve weight loss and avoid complications. Most patients find these changes quite easy to make. These lifestyle changes will include:

• Eating smaller meals
• Eating more slowly
• Eating foods packed with vitamins and nutrients
• Exercising regularly

Making these changes after having weight loss surgery has been shown to cause dramatic weight loss. Gastric bypass patients lose an average of 60% of their excess body weight, and often see significant improvements to their health as a result. Research shows that having bariatric surgery can resolve type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, sleep apnea and GERD.

Excess Weight Loss

Gastric bypass patients typically lost 61.6% of their excess weight.

Health Benefits

Studies found that gastric bypass:

• Resolved type 2 diabetes in 83.8% of patients and often resolved the disease within days of surgery⁴
• Resolved high blood pressure in 75.4% of patients⁴
• Improved high cholesterol in 95% of patients⁴

For more information about the effect of gastric bypass on weight-related co-morbid conditions, visit Morbid Obesity.

Quality of Life

One meta-analysis stated that for bariatric surgery patients who experienced significant weight loss¹:

• Overall quality of life improved greatly.
• They experienced improved physical functioning and appearance.
• They experienced improved social and economic opportunities.

Recovery

One study found that gastric bypass patients were able to²:

• Leave the hospital after two days
• Return to work after 21 days

• A condition known as dumping syndrome can occur from eating high-fat, high-sugar foods. While it isn’t considered a health risk, the results can be very unpleasant and may include vomiting, nausea, weakness, sweating, faintness, and diarrhea.
• Patients must supplement their diet with a daily multivitamin and calcium. Some patients must take vitamin B12 and/or iron.
• The stomach, duodenum, and parts of the small intestine cannot be seen easily using X-ray or endoscopy if there are problems after surgery such as ulcers, bleeding, or malignancy.

view references