How To Know More About Gastric Bypass Surgery

Weight loss surgeries work by making changes to the digestive system of the obese. These changes help them by making them change their eating habits. It also reduces the absorption of nutrients by the body. And this is what gastric bypass does. This surgery is mainly done when all other forms of weight loss surgery have failed.

It is generally considered that this surgery leads to less number of complications than the rest of the bariatric surgeries like gastric band etc. It can also help to reduce the risk of life threatening problems that are caused by the weight-issues. Some of these potential problems are gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD), sleep apnea, diabetes, strokes and heart diseases.

This surgery is generally considered a safe bet for people who have a BMI of 40 or more. Also, people who have a BMI of 35-40 with some serious weight-related problem can go for this surgery. Besides these pre-surgery conditions, the patient has to undergo an extensive screening process to determine whether he is qualified for this surgery or not. He should also be ready to make some permanent changes in his eating habits and his lifestyle.

This surgery is performed by applying the keyhole surgery. During this surgery, instead of a large cat, small cuts are made in the stomach. Using a small telescope, the surgeon performs this surgery using small instruments. A small pouch is made from the upper portion of the stomach with the help of staples. Then this pouch is directly connected to a part of the small intestine and a large portion of the stomach is bypassed. That’s why this surgery is called as the gastric sleeve surgery. The cuts are then stitched back or held with metal clips.

Besides keeping in mind the fact that this surgery is expensive, the patient should also keep in mind the risks related to this surgery. Some of the risks that are in this surgical procedure are blood clots, breathing problems, leakages in the gastrointestinal system, wound infections, excessive bleeding and even death in some rare cases. Some of the other complications that can occur after the bariatric sleeve surgery, bowel obstruction, ulcers, gallstones, hernias and malnutrition.

The patient is made to stay in the hospital for three to five days after the gastric band. He has to follow a strict diet for a minimum of twelve weeks and has to refrain from eating solid foods for the first few days after the surgery. Medical tests, laboratory tests, blood tests- these are a common thing after the surgery and also necessary. The patient should get all his tests done as these are for his benefit and will also help to prevent any future complications.

Getting to know Gastric Bypass Surgery

Gastric bypass surgery is an operation that is designed mainly for morbidly weighty individuals. In fact, it’s one of the most common weight loss surgery performed in several performed in several parts of the world. This surgery is done when diet and exercise don’t work anymore. Serious health issues associated with obesity are another indicator for this procedure. 

This surgery is not for everyone. You’ll have to fulfill the required criteria to qualify for this surgical treatment. Some of them are:

1.The Body Mass Index (BMI) should be forty or more.

2.Serious obesity related issues or BMI of over thirty five.

3.The body weight is over forty five, much more than the perfect weight for a particular height and sex.

4.The age must be between eighteen and sixty five.

Normally, food passes through the abdomen and enters the primary part of the small intestine called the duodenum. The stomach acts as the reservoir. That means, after the food is eaten, it is stored in the stomach. The food gets mixed with digestive fluids and slowly released into the small intestine where most of the food gets digested and absorbed.

This surgery makes the abdomen tiny in size. Additionally, it makes food pass only a small part of the small intestine. As a result, the person feels full lot quicker than when it was its traditional size. This considerably reduces the amount of food that you can eat each time. By passing only a little area of the small intestine greatly reduces the absorption of food. This results in weight loss.

The most commonly performed procedure is named as the Roux-en-Y operation. In this, a small part of the stomach is used to create a pouch. This pouch is connected to the central part of the small intestine. Therefore, the food bypasses the remainder of the abdomen and the upper part of the small intestine.

Laparoscopic approach of gastric bypass

Laparoscopic operation is done with the help of a small video camera and several other thin instruments. The camera and instruments are inserted through small holes made on the anterior abdominal wall. The surgeon looks at a video screen and performs the operation.

laparoscopic gastric sleeve has many advantages over the open procedure, such as minimal scarring, less chances of wound infections, fewer days of hospital stay, and low incidence of incisional hernia.

However, not all people are suitable for laparoscopic operation. Patients who have had previous abdominal surgery and patients who are extremely obese may require open surgical procedure.