Gastric bypass surgery can provide an effective way to lose weight if you are obese and haven't lost a significant amount of weight through diet and exercise. Gastric bypass surgery reduces the size of your stomach and prevents absorption of all of the calories in the food you eat, according to Medline Plus.
Identification
During gastric bypass surgery, your surgeon uses staples to create a small pouch in the upper part of your stomach. After creating the pouch, the surgeon attaches the stomach to part of the small intestine, bypassing the rest of the stomach and a part of the small intestine that helps to absorb nutrients and calories from food. The "Consumer Guide to Bariatric Surgery" reports that the surgery lasts from one to four hours and requires a one- to seven-day stay in the hospital.
Candidates for Surgery
Gastric bypass surgery may be recommended for you if you suffer from obesity and haven't been able to lose weight using traditional methods. MayoClinic.com reports that you may be approved for surgery is you are extremely obese and have a BMI of 40 or higher or have a BMI of 35 to 39 and also have a serious weight-related health problem, such as high blood pressure or diabetes.
Roux-en-Y Procedure
During the Roux-en-Y procedure, the stapled-off section of your stomach remains in your body and produces acids that help digest food. After your surgeon creates the pouch, she attaches the bottom part of the pouch directly to the jejunum, or second part of the small intestine, bypassing the first part of the small intestine called the duodenum.
Medline Plus reports that the pouch is about the size of a walnut and holds approximately one ounce of food. The Roux-en-Y procedure is performed during open surgery or through laparascopic surgery. During laparascopic surgery, your doctor makes several small openings in your abdomen. Tiny surgical instruments and a small camera are passed through these openings, allowing your doctor to see your stomach on a monitor while performing the surgery.
Biliopancreatic Diversion
Surgeons perform the biliopancreatic diversion bypass by first creating a pouch with staples and then removing the remainder of the stomach. Although much of the stomach is removed, the valve that allows food to enter the small intestine from the stomach and a short length of the first part of the small intestine will not be removed. The small intestine is connected directly to the pouch, as in the Roux-en-Y procedure. While the Roux-en-Y procedure bypasses the duodenum, the biliopancreative diversion bypasses the jejunum, creating a shortened small intestine that can't absorb as many nutrients. MayoClinic.com reports that this form of surgery can increase the risk of vitamin deficiencies and malnutrition and is generally used for people who have a BMI greater than 50. Biliopancreatic surgery is performed during an open surgical procedure.
Results
You will not see immediate results following gastric bypass surgery. Medline Plus notes that most people lose approximately 10 to 20 pounds per month in the first year after surgery and may eventually lose half or more of their extra weight in the first two years following surgery.
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