Basics Relating To Gastric Bypass Surgery

By Brian Anderson


Bariatric operations are types of surgeries that help in weight loss. The idea is to reduce the food that can be held by the stomach at a given point in time (which reduces food intake) or to reduce the absorption of both. Some modalities achieve their results through both mechanisms. Gastric bypass surgery is one of the commonly performed weight loss operations in New York.

In general, weight-loss surgeries should be performed as a last resort for people who have tried all the non-surgical options of weight loss but have been unsuccessful. They are likely to be more beneficial in persons who are suffering from or are at risk of developing weight-related complications such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes type 2, gastro-esophageal reflux disease and stroke among others. The general recommendation is that the candidate should have a BMI(body mass index) of not less than 40 (or 35 if they already have the complications).

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 types of gastric bypass that can be performed. The most common is the Roux-en-Y. This type is very popular since it can be performed through by minimal access hence there are less complications and the recovery time is markedly reduced. It involves two steps. The first is the conversion of the stomach into a small pouch through stapling or vertical banding. The capacity of the stomach is reduced and so is the food intake.

The second step is the attachment of a Y-shaped intestinal portion to the pouch. When food moves from the pouch into this part of the intestines, a significant section of the digestion tract is bypassed (hence the name). This means that there will be less absorption of nutrients and less calories will be produced. Weight loss starts to set in in subsequent weeks and months.

A rare type of operation that may be performed is extensive gastric bypass. This is also known as biliopancreatic diversion. It is more complicated and takes a lot longer than the conventional bypass procedure. In the operation the lower part of the stomach is removed and the remainder is connected to the last intestinal part leaving out the first two parts. Due to the associated severe nutrient deficiency, it 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 condition that results from the rapid movement of food through the stomach. Whenever this happens, affected persons may experience a number of symptoms that include weakness, nausea, fainting, sweating and diarrhea. The symptoms are most likely to occur when one eats sugary foods (usually after 10 and 30 minutes after eating). Some people have also have late symptoms that occur about three hours after eating.




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