Gastric Bypass: Frequently Asked Questions
What is gastric bypass surgery?
Gastric bypass is a surgical method used to help people with morbid obesity lose weight and reverse other health problems associated with being overweight, such as high blood pressure and Type II diabetes. The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, creates a small pouch in the top of the stomach to which the small intestine is connected. With a smaller stomach, the patient feels "full" sooner and is less likely to overeat. ...
Source: www.theuniversityhospital.com
Gastric bypass surgery provides an effective tool to limit the amount of food eaten and to change how food calories are absorbed. It must be understood that the surgery is not magic: it works with you, not for you. By working consistantly to make appropriate food choices and behavioral changes, a successful, long-term health impact is possible.
Source: www.summahealth.org
What is the Banded Gastric Bypass?
It is a modification of the gastric bypass procedure for treatment of obesity. It has a transected vertical gastric pouch. A silastic ring band is put around the gastric pouch to form an externally reinforced stomach. The Jejunal Limb (small bowel) is used as a patch to the cut edge of the pouch to minimize the incidence of postoperative leaks. A temporary gastrostomy tube is used to decompress the bypassed stomach/and a gastrostomy site marker is placed to facilitate future access to the bypassed stomach.
Source: www.cstobesity.com
What are the risks of gastric bypass?
As with any surgery, there are operative and long-term complications and risks associated with gastric bypass, including: • Bleeding (hemorrhage) • Marginal ulcers • Infections • Pulmonary emboli • Deep vein thrombosis • Dehiscence • Leaks from staple line • Injury to the spleen • Complications due to anesthesia and medications
Source: www.weightlosssurgery.ie
Gastric bypass is major surgery, and anyone who undergoes it runs all the risks normally associated with surgery. These risks may include infection, bleeding, and even death. In addition, people who have undergone gastric bypass may suffer from nutritional deficiencies. Even after enduring the trauma of gastric bypass, not everyone is able to keep the weight off. If the patient continues to overeat, the stomach will, in time, re-expand. Getting gastric bypass surgery is not a magic bullet for obesity. ...
Source: healthinfoforall.com
What are the advantages of gastric banding compared to the gastric bypass?
The band is completely reversible and adjustable. The gastric bypass involves complicated cutting and re-routing of internal organs and carries a much higher complication and mortality rate. Recovery time after gastric banding is usually three to five days. Although initial weight loss is slower with the band than with the bypass, patients of both procedures typically report similar amounts of weight lost after several years. ...
Source: www.aigb.com
What is a Gastric Bypass or Roux en Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB)?
Gastric Bypass combines making a smaller gastric pouch with a bypass of the first portion of the small intestine. As a result, eating behavior is altered. Since the storage capacity of the stomach is reduced, and the outlet is restricted, a person gets full faster. In addition, food enters the small bowel without mixing with the digestive juices from the liver and pancreas. As a result food high in sugar and fat is not efficiently digested and fewer calories are absorbed. ...
Source: www.nycbariatrics.com
How is laparoscopic gastric bypass different than open gastric bypass?
Laparoscopic gastric bypass is accomplished with 5 small incisions rather than one long incision. A camera is placed through one of the incisions and long instruments through the others. The operation is performed while watching a video screen. The actual operation on the stomach and intestine is the same with both approaches.
Source: www.iowabariatrics.com
How does laparoscopic gastric bypass compare to open gastric bypass?
Laparoscopic gastric bypass results in a shorter hospital stay, less pain, less scarring, and a quicker return to usual activities. Complications such as wound infections and wound hernias are nearly eliminated with the laparoscopic approach. The risk for serious complications (such as leak) is similar with both laparoscopic and open gastric bypass.
Source: www.coastalobesity.com
What is Gastric bypass?
Gastric bypass surgery makes the stomach smaller and allows food to bypass part of the small intestine. You will feel full more quickly than when your stomach was its original size, which reduces the amount of food you eat and thus the calories consumed. Bypassing part of the intestine also results in fewer calories being absorbed. This leads to weight loss. The most common gastric bypass surgery is a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. ...
Source: obesity-clinic.org
This is a surgical procedure for the treatment of obesity, consisting of the creation of a small stomach pouch decreasing its capacity for food ingestion.
Source: www.gastricsurgery.eu
What are the benefits of gastric bypass?
Gastric bypass usually results in rapid weight loss, with people losing up to a third of their body weight within one to five years. This can help control other weight-related conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, etc. Some gastric bypass patients report going from taking a dozen medications or more to taking only one or two. People have also reported benefiting socially and emotionally from gastric bypass surgery, with the weight loss allowing them to participate in more activities they enjoy.
Source: www.articlesandadvice.com
What are the advantages of the gastric bypass?
The main advantage is faster resolution of weight related medical problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea. This is mainly because weight loss is faster. Some studies also show patients who have a BMI over 50 will lose more weight with a gastric bypass than a LAP-BAND or REALIZE BAND. The disadvantage is that a bypass is a more complicated procedure and carries with it more risk than a LAP-BAND or REALIZE BAND.
Source: www.thebanddoctor.com
Is the gastric bypass surgery reversible?
Gastric bypass surgery is reversible, but to reverse this procedure requires additional surgery. Once the procedure is reversed, there is potential for total regain of all weight.
Source: www.holy-cross.com
What Are The Criteria For Gastric Bypass Surgery?
Some of the criteria for gastric bypass are as follows:
Weight in excess of 100 lbs. over the standard for height, sex, an age. Body Mass Index greater than 35-40. Sincere attempts and inability to maintain adequate weight loss by nonsurgical methods. Presence of one or more serious comorbidities such as:
high blood pressure
diabetes
sleep apnea
arthritis or degenrative joint disease in weight bearing joints
Source: www.angelfire.com
What are the disadvantages as compared to gastric bypass?
The main disadvantage is that we don't have long-term data to document that weight loss will be maintained. The sleeve may stretch out, resulting in weight regain. Another disadvantage is that the operation is not reversible, in that part of the stomach is removed and thrown away. It can never be replaced. (On the other hand, there should be no reason to want to put it back).
Source: www.laparoscopy.com
What are the advantages of the operation over gastric bypass?
There is no rerouting of the intestines, and no new connections need to be made. This makes it safer, easier, and faster to perform. The lack of rerouting eliminates the late risk of bowel obstruction from internal hernia that comes with the gastric bypas operation. Finally, the lack of rerouting also reduces the risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Another advantage is that the operation is ideally suited for conversion to another procedure such as gastric bypass, duodenal switch, or even LapBand.
Source: www.laparoscopy.com
What is involved in gastric bypass surgery?
The operation is performed laparoscopically and takes approximately 4 hours. The upper part of the stomach is divided and joined onto the small bowel so that the main reservoir of the stomach is bypassed. A small amount of small bowel is also bypassed. The hospital stay is 3 to 5 days. Fluid is started on the first postoperative day and built up to full diet by six weeks.
The operation is performed laparoscopically and takes approximately 2 hours. The upper part of the stomach is divided and joined onto the small bowel so that the main reservoir of the stomach and some part of small bowel are bypassed. The hospital stay is 3 to 5 days. Fluid is started on the first postoperative day and built up to full diet by six weeks.
Source: londonobesitycentre.com
Can gastric-bypass surgery be reversed?
Yes. Reversing gastric bypass surgery is possible. The procedure is intended to be a permanent change, but because the stomach is bypassed, not removed, surgeons can undo the pouch.
Source: www.sierrabariatrics.com
What are the risks of gastric bypass surgery?
As is true with any operation, there are complications associated with gastric bypass surgery. One of the most serious is leakage where the stomach pouch meets the small intestine. With no treatment, approximately one in four gastric bypass patients will develop gallstones following surgery. That is why a bile thinning medication is prescribed after surgery. Some other complications include abdominal hernia, wound infection, and bowel obstruction. ...
Source: www.theuniversityhospital.com
Is the gastric bypass covered by insurance?
Because gastric bypass surgery is not a cosmetic procedure and is performed only when medically necessary, many insurance companies cover all or part of the costs involved for the laparoscopic and/or open version of the surgery. As every insurance plan is different, it is your responsibility to call your insurance company and inquire about your plan's coverage and pre-certification or authorization requirements. Refer to CPT Code #43846, which identifies the type of surgery, when talking with your insurer. ...
Source: www.theuniversityhospital.com
Are there risks in Gastric Bypass surgery?
As with any surgery, there are risks such as bleeding, infection, or an adverse reaction to anesthesia. Other risks include, anastomotic leakage, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, follow-up operations to correct complications, increased risk for gallstones and nutritional deficiencies such as anemia. Your surgeon will inform you of the risks prior to surgery.
Source: www.weightlossbr.com
How does Gastric Bypass work?
It’s the reduction of your portion sizes and the lessened calorie absorption that leads to weight loss, not the procedure in and of itself. Thanks to your much smaller stomach, you must eat restricted portions following gastric bypass. However, you will not feel hungry after eating those small portions like you would with your stomach the size it is now. Plus, the calories contained in the foods that you eat aren't absorbed as well by your system due to the intestinal bypass, further reducing total calories taken in. ...
Source: www.weightlossbr.com
Is Gastric Bypass right for me?
Keep in mind that gastric bypass isn’t for someone who just wants to shed a few pounds. It’s for people who are more than 100 pounds overweight, or who have a higher BMI than 40, which qualifies as morbidly obese.
Source: www.weightlossbr.com
What are the benefits of gastric bypass surgery?
The surgery is an accepted long-term weight control tool with established health benefits. Gastric bypass surgery (malabsorpitive techniques) tends to produce greater weight loss than surgeries that only use restrictive techniques. Over half of the weight loss surgery patients lose about two-thirds of their excessive weight within two years. While some weight rebound may occur, most patients can keep off roughly 100 pounds of the weight they’ve lost over the long term. ...
What are the risks of the Gastric Bypass Procedure?
All the risks of this procedure will be explained to you, in detail, by your surgeon.
Source: www.enh.org
Can gastric bypass be reversed?
Yes. The bypassed portion of the stomach remains normal. Reversal is seldom performed, however, as it can be a risky procedure and is usually unnecessary.
Source: www.surgicalclinicofca.com
What is the difference between Gastric Bypass and Gastroplasty?
Gastric Bypass seals off most of the stomach with staples and creates a small stomach and a new passage to the intestine. Food will bypass the lower sealed stomach and part of the intestine. Only small quantities of food are needed to fill the upper stomach. Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG) uses an elastic band to section the stomach into an upper and lower stomach, leaving a narrow passageway between the two. Food still passes through the entire stomach, but much more slowly.
Source: groups.msn.com
Is laparoscopic gastric bypass safe?
Many studies done by experienced laparoscopic bariatric surgeons have demonstrated laparoscopic gastric bypass to be safe. A study done by Dr. Oliak (see Description of Surgeries section) demonstrated the importance of surgeon experience. He found complication rates to be significantly higher during the “learning curve” for laparoscopic gastric bypass. Complication rates stabilize at a low rate after a surgeon completes approximately 75 laparoscopic gastric bypass operations.
Source: www.iowabariatrics.com
