About Gastric Bypass Surgery
The goal of all types of gastric bypass surgery is to prevent overeating and to treat morbid obesity. There are a few different methods that can be used during gastric bypass surgery, including Roux-en-Y and a method using an adjustable gastric band (sometimes called a lap band). Your doctor will talk to you about the best method of gastric bypass surgery for you, but all of the techniques follow the same general procedure with a few variations.
Reducing Stomach Size
The first part of the gastric bypass surgery is to make the stomach smaller so that you can't overeat and thus feel fuller faster. The surgeon will create two sections in the stomach, usually using staples (or the adjustable band) to create a small upper portion that contains the food that you eat. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, this part of the stomach is now approximately walnut-sized, designed to hold around an ounce of food.
Separating the Small Intestine
The second step in the process is the bypass portion of the surgery, in which the surgeon separates a portion of the small intestine and reconnects it to the new, small section of your stomach (referred to as the pouch). This allows your food, after eating, to flow directly from your pouch into the small intestine, thereby restricting how many calories your body is able to absorb from the foods you eat.
After the Surgery
A gastric bypass typically requires a hospital stay of up to five days. And your diet will be significantly different following surgery, with no food for a few days followed by a diet of liquids and soft foods. Eventually, you can resume eating normal food--only significantly smaller quantities. It's also important to adhere to a healthy, balanced diet and get regular exercise to facilitate weight loss.
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