How Is Gastric Bypass Surgery Performed?
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How It Works
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For people who struggle with obesity, gastric bypass can be the favored weight-loss surgery because it is safer and less complicated than other weight-loss surgeries. In gastric bypass surgery, the surgeon uses staples to make a small pouch about the size of a walnut at the top of the stomach. Then the surgeon makes a bypass around part of the stomach and small intestine. So after the surgery, food (which used to travel through the stomach into the small intestine) now travels, bypassing most of the stomach and part of the small intestine. The pouch that the surgeon created can hold about 1 oz. of food at any time. The food that is eaten no longer enters the lower part of the stomach, but the stomach still produces digestive juices. This change in the digestive system anatomy limits the amount of food a person can eat and digest. As a result, the person is more easily able to lose weight, which in turn, lowers the risk of medical problems related to obesity.
Options During Surgery
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Gastric bypass surgery is performed using general anesthesia that puts you to sleep during the procedure. The surgery can be done as either a traditional "open" procedure or a laparoscopic procedure. In a laparoscopic procedure, several short incisions are cut in the abdomen and a small instrument with a camera attached is inserted. The surgeon performs the procedure using the camera to "see." With the laparoscopic procedure, the recovery time is quicker. A person considering the surgery can talk to the surgeon to determine which procedure would be best in her situation.
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After the Surgery
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Once the gastric bypass surgery is finished, the patient cannot eat for 1 to 3 days to allow the stomach to heal. Foods are then introduced in a progressive way over a period of several weeks, starting with liquids and moving to regular foods. Because the stomach is now so small, the patient must eat small meals. During the months following the surgery, changes (body aches, fatigue, feeling cold, dry skin, thinning hair, mood changes) may occur because of the rapid weight loss. In addition, it requires a lifelong commitment to changes in diet.
Positive Outcomes
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Besides losing a dramatic amount of weight, gastric bypass surgery can help people who have other conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea or gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Risks
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Not everyone who is obese should have gastric bypass surgery. It is major surgery and there are risks involved. There are possible complications associated with gastric bypass surgery, including death (one death per 200 to 300 surgeries, according to the Mayo Clinic), blood clots in the legs, leaks where the staples are placed, incision hernia, narrowed opening between stomach and small intestine or dumping syndrome (where the stomach contents move through the small intestine too quickly). As with all surgeries, anyone considering the procedure should talk to the surgeon to have a clear understanding of any possible risks.
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