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Gastric Bypass
Surgery
Gastric Bypass Surgery via
the
Roux-en-Y procedure
is generally considered to
be the best
surgical procedure for the
treatment of morbid obesity.
Weight loss is achieved by
reducing the functional
portion of the stomach to a
pouch one ounce or less in
size, and by creating a
stoma, a small opening
between the stomach and the
intestine.
After the gastric bypass
procedure, a small size of
the stomach pouch causes the
patient to have a sensation
of fullness after eating
only a small portion of
food. The small stoma delays
stomach emptying, making the
sensation of fullness last
longer. These are called the
Restrictive components of
the procedure.
The limb of intestine coming
down from the small pouch is
called the Roux limb. The
limb of intestine coming
down from the bypassed
portion of the stomach can
be called the Biliary or
Bypassed limb. The remaining
portion of the intestine is
called the Common Channel.
Food does not pass down the
Bypassed limb, only the Roux
limb and the Common Channel.
The longer the Bypassed
limb, the less the length of
intestine actively working
to absorb nutrients from the
food that is eaten.
Digestive juices that
normally help absorb
nutrients from the food
enter the Bypassed limb from
the larger portion of the
stomach, the liver, and the
pancreas, and pass down the
Bypassed limb to the Common
Channel. These juices do not
mix with the food while it
is passing down the Roux
limb. The longer the Roux
limb, the longer the portion
of intestine trying to
absorb nutrients without the
benefit of these digestive
juices. Both of these
changes result in less
absorption of nutrients and
contribute to weight loss,
and are called the
Malabsorptive components of
the procedure.
Exactly how
the operation is done for an
individual patient depends
on their individual anatomy,
their general health status,
whatever changes they may
have from prior surgeries,
and what they hope to be
achieve from the operation.
The stomach compartments can
be completely divided from
each other or simply
partitioned, the small
stomach pouch and the
intestinal limbs may be
connected to each other with
either staples or sutures, a
small band may be placed
around the stomach pouch,
and the two intestinal limbs
may be made longer or
shorter.
Risks of Gastric Bypass
Surgery
If you are considering having the gastric bypass
surgical procedure done, it is important that
you understand the risks involved. At the time a
decision is made to have the surgery, you will
be asked to sign a consent form stating you
understand all the risks involved. You are
encouraged to ask any questions at the time of
your consultation. Some of the risks are as
follows:
-
Bleeding
-
Infections
-
Follow-up surgeries to correct complications, or
to remove excess skin
-
Gallstones due to significant weight loss in a
short amount of time
-
Gastritis (inflammation of the lining of the
stomach)
-
Vomiting from eating more than the stomach pouch
can hold
-
Iron
or vitamin B12 deficiencies (if they occur) can
lead to anemia
-
Calcium deficiency (if it occurs) can contribute
to the development of early osteoporosis or
other bone disorders
Advantages of Gastric
Bypass Surgery
The benefits of
the gastric bypass
procedure very much
outweigh the risks.
75% of patients are
expected to lose 75
to 80% of their
excess body weight.
Well over 70 to 80%
of patients with
hypertension will be
off medications and
well over 90% of
patients with type
II non-insulin
dependent diabetes
mellitus are
expected to be off
medication.
Drastically
improved, if not
completely resolved
includes sleep
apnea, asthma, joint
pain, arthritis,
reflux, fatigue,
shortness of breath
and an overall
increased sense of
well-being.
There is expected to
be a significant
reduction in risks
of heart disease,
pulmonary disease
and cancers. Morbid
obesity can reduce
the lifespan as much
as 20% in a given
patient, depending
on their age and co
morbid problems.
There is also a
significantly
improved quality of
life and self-esteem
in patients who have
undergone gastric
bypass procedure for
weight loss.
To learn more about the
gastric bypass surgical
procedure visit:
www.obeseinfo.com
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