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Gastric Bypass is the most commonly performed bariatric procedure in the United States for the surgical treatment of morbid obesity. Nearly 140,000 of these procedures are performed in the nation every year.
Gastric Bypass works in two ways:
Restriction of large amounts of food:
- The stomach is stapled to create a small ‘gastric pouch’ that is connected to the rest of the small intestine. This reduces the actual size of the ‘functional’ stomach from about 400 ml to a mere 15-20 ml and limits the amount of food you can consume at one time and therefore ‘restricts’ your food intake
Malabsorption of nutrients:
- Bypassing the stomach and about 75 cm of the small intestines results in the malabsorption of fats and carbohydrates which further adds to the efficacy of the procedure. It is the malabsorption and restriction components of the gastric bypass that make it an effective procedure for surgical weight loss.
The gastric bypass results in an effective resolution of major illnesses that accompany obesity. Nearly 85 to 90 percent of overweight patients suffering from hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea and other major illnesses will see a significant improvement or resolution of these after undergoing gastric bypass.
The Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass:
The Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass Surgery:
This is a relatively new approach to surgery that is gets patients out of the hospital sooner and back to their normal activities more quickly - with less pain and, in many cases, lower costs.
You may have heard or read about it, or you may know someone who has had his or her gallbladder removed and was up and around in just a few days. This approach, called laparoscopy, is also known by several other names, including minimally invasive or less invasive surgery. No matter what term you use, the big advantage of this new technique is that there is no need for large incisions. Instead, the surgeon operates through a number of small openings about the size of buttonholes, while viewing the patient's internal organs on a TV monitor using an internal camera. Since there are no large incisions to heal, patients have less pain and recover sooner.
Laparoscopy is setting new standards for patient care because it allows surgeons to perform many operations without the trauma and pain of a large incision. Thanks to both the skill of the surgeon and advances in technology, laparoscopic techniques are being applied to a growing number of procedures and someday will likely replace open surgical techniques in many areas.
Almost all gastric bypass surgeries at the UI Obesity Surgery Program are performed using the state of the art minimally invasive or laparoscopic approach.
In addition to the above benefits, this approach also results in:
- Shorter hospital stay
- Quicker recovery
- Earlier return to work
- Less pain after surgery
- Reduced risk of complications including hernias and wound infections
- More cosmetic healing of scars.
Although not all patients will qualify for the laparoscopic approach, surgeons with the UI Obesity Surgery Program will evaluate patients on an individual basis regarding feasibility of the surgery. This decision is based on your weight, stature and previous abdominal surgeries.
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