Important Facts On Gastric Bypass Surgery

By Brian Anderson


Bariatric surgery is an operation that is used to facilitate weight loss. This may be achieved through one of several ways: reduced food intake due to reduced stomach capacity, reduced absorption of nutrients or both mechanisms. An example of bariatric surgery is gastric bypass surgery. There are a number of important things that New York residents should know about this procedure if you have plans of having it.

Weight-loss surgeries should only be considered after other conservative measures such as lifestyle changes have proved to be ineffective. They are suitable for persons that are at a high risk of developing weight related complications such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and gastro-esophageal reflux disease among others. The candidate should have a body mass index of 40 or more unless they already have complications where the cutoff is lowered to 35.

Once you have qualified as a candidate for the operation, your doctor will instruct you on how you should prepare. A number of tests may have to be done as part of preoperative preparation. Restrictions may be placed on foods and drugs before and after the operation. If you are a smoker, you should stop the habit for two weeks before the operation and for the same duration afterwards.

There are different forms of gastric bypass surgeries that exist. The most commonly performed is the Roux-en-Y. The reason as to why this type is very popular is the fact that it can be easily done through small incisions. This helps to reduce the rate of complications and to shorten the recovery time. It is performed in two major steps. The first step is the creation of a pouch from the stomach by use of staples or a silicon band.

The second step is the fashioning of a Y-shaped portion of the intestines and attaching it onto the pouch. This means that the food can move directly from the pouch (stomach) into the Y-shaped portion and bypass another part (hence the term). The result of this is a reduction in the absorption of nutrients and calories. The rate of weight gain is markedly reduced within weeks to months.

Extensive gastric bypass (also referred to as biliopancreatic diversion) is more radical. While it may be an option for weight loss, its main indication is biliary obstruction due to liver disease. The operation itself involves the removal of the lower stomach and the joining of the upper stomach portion to the last portion of the intestines. The other two portions are skipped. Due to severe nutrient deficiency, the procedure is not done routinely.

There are a number of risks that are associated with these operations. One of them is the fact that the pouch may stretch causing the size stomach to increase in size. In some cases, it has even regained its original size. The band may get eroded and disintegrate with time. There have been incidences where leakage of stomach acids have caused damaged to other organs.

Dumping syndrome is a collection of symptoms that may be experienced by persons that have undergone the bypass procedure. Within 10 to 30 minutes of eating, there is a sudden onset of nausea, weakness, abdominal discomfort and at times, fainting. This syndrome is likely to be encountered when one eats sugary foods or sweets and is caused by the rapid movement of eaten foods through the stomach into the small intestines.




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