Description of the procedure
Gastric bypass surgery reduces the size of a person's stomach and bypasses parts of the small intestine. It helps people who are obese or very obese lose weight because the stomach holds less food and the length of the small intestine is reduced so fewer calories are absorbed.
Generally, it is best to achieve weight loss goals by changing your diet and increasing regular physical activity. However, people who meet specific conditions and have tried other methods of weight loss may benefit from gastric bypass surgery.
Gastric bypass surgery reduces the size of a person's stomach and bypasses parts of the small intestine. It helps people who are obese or very obese lose weight because the stomach holds less food and the length of the small intestine is reduced so fewer calories are absorbed.
Generally, it is best to achieve weight loss goals by changing your diet and increasing regular physical activity. However, people who meet specific conditions and have tried other methods of weight loss may benefit from gastric bypass surgery.
The procedure takes place in a hospital under general anesthesia.
When should this procedure be performed?
Usually this procedure is performed only once to help a person lose weight.
Why is this procedure performed?
You must meet certain conditions to have this procedure. This procedure may be appropriate if a person has a body mass index (BMI) of:
- 40 or more, or
- 35 or more, along with certain conditions that affect their health (e.g., type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, or heart disease)
BMI measures a person's weight relative to their height. A healthy BMI range is 18.5 to 25.0.
Are there any risks and precautions I should know about?
Certain risks are common to all surgery and every time an anesthetic is used. These include side effects of the anesthetic, breathing problems, infection, and bleeding.
Although gastric bypass surgery is generally considered safe, it does have some risks. The most common risks are:
- necessity for further procedures to improve any problems that result from the surgery
- gallstones
- inflammation of the stomach lining
- certain vitamin or mineral deficiencies (e.g., vitamin B12, iron, calcium)
- vomiting
- dumping syndrome (a condition where food moves too quickly from the stomach to the intestine, leading to nausea, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, sweating, feeling faint, and heart palpitations)
- eventual stretching of the new stomach "pouch" to its original size