Gastric Bypass Surgery

Obesity is a condition that affects millions of people in the United States every year. Unlike being overweight, obesity is defined as the condition wherein a person has an excessive amount of body fat. A person can be overweight without being obese, as muscle mass and bone mass can contribute to a person’s weight. Obesity is already considered a disease by the National Institutes of Health, and it is a condition which needs to be treated professionally.

Obesity and Gastric Bypass Surgery

One of the surgical methods employed to help deal with obesity is the gastric bypass surgery. In this procedure, a portion of the stomach is stapled to decrease its size. When a person has a smaller stomach, he will get fuller after only eating a small amount of food, which is an aid for weight loss. The stapled portion of the stomach is attached to the middle part of the small intestine, or jejunum, bypassing the first portion of the said organ.

Roux-en-Y (RNY) procedure

As the food travels to the smaller stomach, then to the jejunum, it is then transported to the lower end of the small intestine, the duodenum, before it reaches the large intestine. Bypassing a significantly large portion of the small intestine decreases the amount of calories absorbed from food, and this promotes weight loss. The standard procedure for gastric bypass is called the Roux-en-Y (RNY) procedure.

Weight loss with gastric bypass surgery

According to experts, the gastric bypass surgery will help many people lose weight within a few months. Within a few years, a very significant change in the weight of the obese patient will result. In any way, a patient is first evaluated before he or she can undergo this procedure.

Mini Gastric Bypass Surgery

Though the RNY gastric bypass is said to be the standard, another method has been developed as a means of treating obesity. The mini gastric bypass surgery is similar to the former, but is less costly and presents fewer complications for the patient. In this procedure, instead of stapling a small pouch for the stomach, a narrow tube is instead inserted into the opening of the small intestine, and is attached to the lower end of the small intestine. This narrow tube is a way for the digested food to bypass the highly absorptive portions of the small intestine.

Complications of Gastric Bypass Surgery

Along with any surgery, there are still complications that can possibly occur for the patient. An infection may be incurred at the area of incision. The connecting tube from the stomach to the intestine may form a leak, which leads to peritonitis. Peritonitis is an infection in the abdominal wall, causing swelling and leading to other problems.

Gallstones with gastric bypass surgeries

For patients who undergo gastric bypass surgeries, about a third of them experience gallstones because of their lack of nutritive intake. In other cases, osteoporosis or lack of calcium, and anemia are experienced. Ulcers may also develop, which is likely for about 5% to 15% of cases. If the connection between the intestines and stomach narrows, a person may experience nausea. The staples on the stomach may also come off, and the person may experience stomach bloating.