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General information
Gastric bypass is a bariatric procedure that involves creating a small pouch in the stomach and connecting it to the small intestine. After the operation, swallowed food enters this bag and then goes into the small intestine, bypassing the rest of the gastric body, which is excluded from the circuit.
General anesthesia is required for both open and laparoscopic bypass surgeries. Open surgery involves a traditional incision in the abdomen, which requires a longer recovery period and has significantly higher risks of moderate and severe postoperative complications compared to the minimally invasive (laparoscopic) approach. Instead, the laparoscopic procedure uses six small incisions in the upper abdomen through which the laparoscopic and stapling instruments can be inserted.
Factors considered in the choice of gastric bypass surgery include body mass index, the presence of severe reflux disease, as well as poorly controlled diabetes by diet or drug therapy.
After gastric bypass surgery, the feeling of satiety appears more than before. Bypassing part of the small intestine results in the absorption of fewer calories. Consequently, unlike gastric sleeve or gastric plication (whose gastric functioning mechanisms are of a restrictive type – reducing the useful volume of the lumen), the gastric bypass intervention acts predominantly through a malabsorptive mechanism and only partially through a restrictive mechanism. Thus, gastric bypass surgery leads to both a smaller intake of food (due to the small gastric pouch that is disconnected from the rest of the stomach) and reduced absorption of ingested nutrients (due to bypassing a segment of the small intestine).
Who is it suitable for?
Gastric bypass is aimed at obese people (with a BMI of >30kg/m2) who have comorbidities associated with poorly controlled type II diabetes or gastroesophageal reflux disease. It is also the intervention of choice for obese patients with typical Barrett's esophagus lesions.
Contact me, and let's meet to discuss if gastric bypass surgery is the right option for you to get rid of unwanted pounds and the comorbidities associated with obesity!