If you are considering weight loss surgery you will be met with several options, each designed to assist you in losing a dramatic amount of weight if you 
follow the guidance of your doctor after the operation. Today’s blog is going to explore gastric bypass surgery and tell the story of why over the years this has become known as the “gold standard” in weight loss surgery.
How does gastric bypass surgery work? (in a nutshell)
Gastric bypass surgery involves two distinct stages. First the surgeon will fashion a small gastric pouch by separating a thumb-sized bit of upper stomach from the rest of the larger stomach. This will become the patients “new” stomach and is about 20-40ml in size. The second part of the gastric bypass surgery involves connecting this new stomach to a part of the small intestine slightly further down. In roux bypass procedures an extra step is to divert bile away from the new stomach, but in Omega or Single Anastomosis bypass the operation stops at this point.
Gastric bypass surgery is so successful as a weight loss surgery option as it works in two different ways:
- The smaller stomach pouch restricts the amount of food that a patient can consume before they feel that they don’t have any hunger left.
- By bypassing part of the small intestine (food passes directly to the jejunum, bypassing the duodenum) a number of hormones are produced that signal to the brain that a large amount of food has been eaten after only a small meal.
Advantages and drawbacks of gastric bypass surgery
With any surgery there are of course complications and risks that you take, although most patients recommended for this surgery will fail to lose a significant amount of weight without it and can face even more serious risks to their health long term.
The advantages to gastric bypass surgery are clear; it has been proven to significantly reduce a patient’s weight not only immediately following the surgery, but for up to 20 years afterwards. As well as losing up to 60 – 70 percent of excess weight as a result of gastric bypass surgery, patients have also demonstrated that with this form of surgery it is easier to maintain long term results. Of course with such a significant weight loss patients will then see other health benefits as a result, such as Type 2 Diabetes going into sustained remission, ease of joint pain such as knees, ease of breathing and other health benefits.
If you’ve read this far you’re probably thinking ‘wow, gastric bypass surgery is great sign me up’. But in order to achieve a successful outcome from this type of weight loss surgery, you must be willing to commit to lifelong changes in your diet and lifestyle.
As gastric bypass surgery affects how your body absorbs the food you eat, there is a risk of various deficiencies occurring. All patients having bypass surgery need a minimum of a daily multivitamin and at least 6 monthly vitamin B12 injections. Other items including Vitamin D, calcium and iron will be needed by many patients.
Gastric bypass surgery can also result in a condition that is referred to as “dumping syndrome”; this is when food, in particular sugar, moves through the digestive system too quickly and can cause nausea, diarrhea and reflux. This is why patients are advised not to eat foods with a high sugar content following surgery.
Of course any surgery carries a risk and gastric bypass surgery is no different. If you are considering gastric bypass surgery or would like to know more about weight loss surgery options then please contact our team today.
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