Gastic Bypass Surgery
This page on HealthMBA.com is about the gastric bypass surgical procedure that some individuals use as a drastic procedure for weight loss. The gastric bypass surgery can create risks to your health, but it can also be an effective way to overcome weight loss problems.
Gastric bypass surgery has been practiced for decades now and in many cases has resulted in successfully overcoming problem or even morbid level of obesity. Traditional treatment for obesity is to undergo strict dietary restrictions and to engage in a rigorous exercise program, but for some it never seems to be effective. Many individuals struggle for years against being overweight and finally decide to undergo the drastic surgical procedure called gastric bypass. There are many diet plans and suggestions to help reduce extra fat and to make habits for a healthier lifestyle, but many people find that it is too difficult or ineffective to follow those plans. Weight control has never been easy, but with this invasive surgical procedure where the size and shape of the stomach is severely reduced to limit the amount a person can eat. It also bypasses part of the small intestines, so the small amount of food that you can eat also is not absorbed as well. With less food and calories the body is forced to draw on the fat reserves and the excess weight quickly burns away.
This is an attractive alternative to long-term diet and exercise, but it is also the only effective alternative for some individuals who are very obese and have been unable to reduce their weight by other means. Doctors often do not recommend the procedure unless other options have proven ineffective or if the degree of obesity proves to be life-threatening. The surgery does carry some risks that are common to most invasive procedures, such as infection, so it is important to understand the dangers and to take special care to ensure that recover goes smoothly.
Traditionally, in the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, the procedure involves the surgeons making an incision in the abdomen opening enough to clearly access the stomach and intestines. There is also a slightly less invasive method, known as the laparoscopic approach, that involves making only a small incision and using a small camera and surgical instruments to perform the procedure. The first step is to seal off a majority of the volume of the stomach using a double row of staples. Then a section of small intestine is joined to the upper, open remainder of the stomach, bypassing the regular route of the stomach and the duodenum, the entrance to the intestines. After healing and recovering from the surgery the patient will only be able to consume a small amount of food, and the small stomach will then pass the food on further into the intestines, skipping some of the absorption of calories.
Within the first year the patient should lose a significant portion of excess fat, but it may be uncomfortable for some. The body may not adjust well to the change an digestion may be unpleasant, causing nausea on a regular basis. If the patient is not careful about their nutrition they could also develop a deficiency of vital nutrients, and anemia and other complications could occur. Over time it is possible that the small cavity of the stomach will stretch out again and the patient will have more normal food intake. In some cases there may be weight gain again, but with close medical supervision and by picking up healthy diet and exercise habits the procedure will continue to help in having a lasting effect on health and keeping the the weight down.
