How Do They Do Minimally Invasive Gastric Bypass Surgery?
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Preparation
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Prior to having minimally invasive gastric bypass surgery, the Cleveland Clinic says that a prospective patient must undergo a thorough evaluation. This includes checking the health of his endocrine, cardiovascular and pulmonary systems. He must also be evaluated psychologically to assess his body image, expectations of the outcome and willingness to go along with the necessary lifestyle changes that come with a gastric bypass. In addition, he will receive nutritional counseling to discuss the restrictions on eating that are made necessary by a gastric bypass procedure.
Surgery
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Minimally invasive gastric surgery is a laparoscopic procedure, meaining that very small incisions are used. There are three main types of minimally invasive procedures, all of which start the same way. The surgeon makes four to six openings in the abdomen, each of which is no longer than an inch. She passes a camera, light and surgical tools into the patient. The tools are no wider than a pen. Then she inflates the abdomen with carbon dioxide so she can view the stomach and the surrounding area.
In the first type of surgery, a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, the surgeon bypasses more than 95 percent of the stomach, leaving a functional part that is approximately the size of an egg. In the second type, the gastric band procedure, the surgeon uses a band to tie off part of the stomach. The band can be adjusted later, if needed. In the third type, called sleeve gastrectomy, the surgeon removes two-thirds of the stomach, bypassing the patient's intestines.
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Post-Operative
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The hospital stay for minimally invasive gastric bypass surgery is one to three days. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the majority of patients who have this surgery recover fully, with no complications. However, they are usually advised to take two to four weeks off work to give themselves adequate time to recover. They must carefully follow their diet plan, which is designed to accommodate their reduced stomach capacity. During the first year, they will visit their surgeon regularly to monitor their physical and psychological progress. At some time within the first two years, many patients will also need an abdominiplasty, a surgical procedure that removes excess skin around the stomach that results from the weight loss.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Photo: Ethicon Endosurgery, Inc.
