Gastric bypass, the most commonly performed weight-loss surgery in America, can be done in several ways. The goal and end result, however, is the same for all gastric bypass procedures: significant weight loss. The amount of weight lost and the time it takes can vary from person to person.
Procedure
The most common gastric bypass procedure today, the Roux-en-Y procedure, can be done as an open or laparoscopic procedure. The type of surgery doesn't affect the eventual weight loss, but does make the initial surgical and postoperative periods less painful. Your surgeon divides your stomach into parts and bypasses part of the stomach and small intestine, reducing the amount of space available for calorie absorption as well as limiting the amount of food you can eat. Fewer calories taken in and absorbed means more weight loss.
Initial Loss
Weight loss after gastric bypass often starts rapidly in the period right after surgery, MedlinePlus states. For the first eight weeks after bariatric surgery, you can have only liquids, starting with clear liquids and then increasing to full liquids and pureed foods. Once you start solid foods, weight loss continues at levels of between 10 and 20 pound per month, MedlinePlus adds.
Total Loss
Most weight loss occurs in the first eight months, Duke University states. The average amount of weight lost varies between 80 and 140 pounds, depending on your compliance in sticking with the diet and commitment to exercise. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that most people lose 80 percent of their excess weight within a year.
Regaining Weight
It's possible to regain weight after a gastric bypass, but on average, most people gain back only 10 to 13 percent of lost weight after 10 to 14 years, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports. It's possible to stretch your stomach by eating too much, or a problem with the surgery can cause the stomach to enlarge. If a structural problem is causing weight gain, a second surgery may help. Another surgery increases the risk of complications of bleeding, infection and leaks in the intestine. Surgery won't be redone if you gain weight from eating too much.
Considerations
Around 10 percent of people who have gastric bypass surgery fail to lose weight, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders. Failure to restrict calories or do exercise or problems with the surgery itself can contribute to failure to lose weight. Gastric bypass requires commitment to diet; the surgery alone isn't enough to keep your weight down over time.
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