Types of Weight Loss Surgery: Examining the Possibilities — Gastric Bypass

Although surgery for weight loss should be a last resort — after diet, exercise, and chemical and hormonal adjustments have been deemed unsuccessful by a licensed medical professional — it’s important to know what the different options are so you can make an informed decision. In a three-part series, we’ll examine some of the most common weight loss surgeries used today.

GASTRIC BYPASS

What is gastric bypass and who can perform it? Gastric bypass is a surgical procedure in which your physician creates a small pouch at the top of your stomach and then attaches the small intestine directly to that pouch to skip most of your stomach. The pouch limits the amount of food you can take in and sends it straight to intestine, reducing the number of calories your body absorbs. The bottom of the stomach is sewn or stapled closed.

Gastric bypass can be performed using a traditional, “open” surgical approach or, preferably, using laparascopic surgical techniques, which are considerably less invasive because they require only small incisions and allow the doctor to use a small camera to guide the procedure. For obvious reasons, gastric bypass should be performed by a licensed physician.

Are there different types of gastric bypass? Yes, but the most popular by far is the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, described above. In more detail, the surgeon either staples or bands the top of the stomach to create a small food reservoir about the size of a walnut, which makes it impossible (or extremely dangerous) for patients to consume more than an ounce or two of food in one sitting. Unlike the gastric lap band procedure, which allows food to pass into the lower stomach for digestion through a small, generally adjustable opening, gastric bypass circumvents the lower stomach entirely by rerouting the small intestine to connect to the surgically created pouch.

Who is a good candidate for gastric bypass? Gastric bypass is appropriate only for people who are severely overweight, such as those more than 100 pounds over their healthy weight or with a BMI of 40 or higher.

What are the benefits of gastric bypass? Most patients who undergo gastric bypass experience dramatic weight loss after the surgery, and a major reduction in coexisting conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea resulting from the weight loss. It also has been shown to improve lifestyle and emotional health.

What are the risks of gastric bypass? On top of surgical risks and the risk of undergoing general anesthesia, gastric bypass carries far more serious health risks than, for example, gastric lap band surgery. Among the most serious are leakage where the small intestine is connected to the stomach pouch, anastomotic stricture (or scar tissue tightening) that prevents food from passing to the small intestine, and dumping syndrome (which is exactly what it sounds like). And, of course, extra skin after dramatic weight loss is extremely common.

Also, after gastric bypass, patients have some serious dietary restrictions, not only in how much they eat, but also what they eat. Because of the rerouting of the digestive system, gastric bypass patients simply can’t handle high-fat and high-sugar foods, which admittedly are bad for you anyway but are also a major component of the American diet. Another very serious side effect directly related to the restructuring of the digestive tract is poor nutrient absorption.

Additional risks include:

• Abdominal pain after the surgery
• Infection or pain at the site of the bypass
• Dangerous infections from intestinal leakage
• Scarring at incisions sites

Only by talking with your doctor can you determine the full range of risks and side effects.

Sources

• Gastric bypass surgery: What can you expect?
• Gastric bypass
• Wikipedia – Gastric bypass surgery
• GastricBypass.com
• MedlinePlus – Weight loss surgeries

YOUR TURN

Have you undergone gastric bypass, or do you know someone who has? Here is one woman’s gastric bypass story. Tell your gastric bypass story in the comments. Please use good common sense in regard to naming doctors or facilities — the Internet is not anonymous, even though your comment may be.

(image: Newscom)

Contents © Copyright 2008 Kristen King

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