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Important Facts On Gastric Bypass Surgery

By Brian Anderson


Bariatric surgery is an operation that is used to facilitate weight loss. This may be achieved through one of several ways: reduced food intake due to reduced stomach capacity, reduced absorption of nutrients or both mechanisms. An example of bariatric surgery is gastric bypass surgery. There are a number of important things that New York residents should know about this procedure if you have plans of having it.

In general, weight-loss surgeries should be performed as a last resort for people who have tried all the non-surgical options of weight loss but have been unsuccessful. They are likely to be more beneficial in persons who are suffering from or are at risk of developing weight-related complications such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes type 2, gastro-esophageal reflux disease and stroke among others. The general recommendation is that the candidate should have a BMI(body mass index) of not less than 40 (or 35 if they already have the complications).

If you meet the required criteria, the operation will be scheduled to take place when you have been adequately prepared. You may need to have a number of tests to ascertain that you are ready for the operation. You may be asked to scale down or withhold on some drugs and foods until the operation is over. Smoking affects wound healing and should be stopped at least two weeks in advance.

There are different types of gastric bypass that can be performed. The most common is the Roux-en-Y. This type is very popular since it can be performed through by minimal access hence there are less complications and the recovery time is markedly reduced. It involves two steps. The first is the conversion of the stomach into a small pouch through stapling or vertical banding. The capacity of the stomach is reduced and so is the food intake.

The second step is the fashioning of a Y-shaped portion of the intestines and attaching it onto the pouch. This means that the food can move directly from the pouch (stomach) into the Y-shaped portion and bypass another part (hence the term). The result of this is a reduction in the absorption of nutrients and calories. The rate of weight gain is markedly reduced within weeks to months.

A rare type of operation that may be performed is extensive gastric bypass. This is also known as biliopancreatic diversion. It is more complicated and takes a lot longer than the conventional bypass procedure. In the operation the lower part of the stomach is removed and the remainder is connected to the last intestinal part leaving out the first two parts. Due to the associated severe nutrient deficiency, it is not done routinely.

You need to be aware of the attendant risks of these surgeries. A major risk is the fact that the pouch mat dilate over some months or years effectively increasing the stomach size. It is possible for it to even revert to its original size. The band and the staples may disintegrate and fall off which reverses the procedure. There are cases where stomach acids leak through the incisions and enter the abdominal cavity causing damage to internal organs.

Dumping syndrome is a collection of symptoms that may be experienced by persons that have undergone the bypass procedure. Within 10 to 30 minutes of eating, there is a sudden onset of nausea, weakness, abdominal discomfort and at times, fainting. This syndrome is likely to be encountered when one eats sugary foods or sweets and is caused by the rapid movement of eaten foods through the stomach into the small intestines.




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