Gastric Bypass Surgery or Roux- En-Y Gastric Bypass surgery

Your may be eligible for a Bariatric Bypass Surgery if you have a BMI is 40 or greater or BMI is 35 or greater accompanied by obesity related health problems such as type II diabetes, sleep apnea etc or weight loss efforts through lifestyle changes or medication have been unsuccessful

There are two types of Bariatric Surgery

• Restrictive Procedures- restrictive procedures decrease the size of the stomach to one cup. A normal stomach can hold 4-6 cups of food. This helps the patient feel full quickly.

• Malabsorptive procedures decrease absorption of calories in the small intestine.

Gastric bypass surgery is technically referred to Roux- En-Y Gastric Bypass surgery. It is both a restrictive as well as a malabsorptive procedure because it reduces the size of the stomach and also decreases the absorption of calories in the small intestine.

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There a two methods to perform a Gastric Bypass Surgery the Open method and the Laparoscopic method. The Open method requires an 8-10 inch incision the abdomen. The Laparoscopic method requires only several small key hole incisions through which a laparoscope and surgical tools will be passed. A laparoscope is a thin instrument which projects the images of the surgery on a monitor in the operating room.

During a Roux- En-Y Gastric Bypass surgery, surgical staples will be used to create a small compartment in the upper part of the stomach which will serve as the new stomach. This new stomach will hold about one cup of food. The lower part of the stomach will continue to secrete digestive juices but will not receive food. Next the small intestine will be cut well beyond the stomach and one free end will be attached to the new stomach. The other free end will be attached lower down on the small intestine creating a Y shape.

By bypassing the lower stomach and the first part of the small intestine fewer calories will be absorbed as food passes through the newly constructed pathway.

Post the surgery the patient will have to follow a prescribed diet, exercise and medication for a sustained weight loss.