What is Gastric Bypass Surgery?

Gastric bypass surgery is a type of weight loss surgery that limits the amount of food eaten by changing the digestive system’s anatomy. Gastric bypass surgery is a favored weight loss surgery of both patients and surgeons alike—it is safer and has the fewest complications among the available weight loss surgeries today. With the ongoing pattern of lifestyle and dietary changes, gastric bypass surgery can provide long-term weight loss. But don’t get too excited; this bariatric bypass is not for all obese individuals. Despite being the safest weight loss surgery, gastric bypass surgery has many risks and side effects involved. Also, weight loss cannot be achieved unless you are willing to make significant lifestyle changes and give up certain eating habits—something that many patients are unwilling to do. Gastric bypass surgery alone does not guarantee weight loss; a huge part of its success depends on you.

During gastric bypass surgery, the surgeon will make your stomach smaller by creating an artificial pouch above the stomach. The artificial pouch is just as large as a walnut, and can only take in an ounce of food. Then he will staple the stomach at the top, which seals the pouch off from the rest of the digestive system. In the final process, the surgeon will make a cut on the small intestine and sew part of it to connect to the pouch. This creates a new pathway for the food, bypassing the stapled-off part of the stomach and the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine (hence the term “bariatric bypass” or gastric bypass). This means that food enters the second part of the small intestine, the jejunum, which means you absorb fewer calories. Even though food won’t be entering the rest of your stomach, it will still remain healthy and produce the digestive juices needed to digest food in the smaller intestine.

The old procedure for gastric bypass surgeries is called an open bariatric bypass. As the name suggests, the entire abdomen area is cut open and the procedure is done with all your organs and digestive system exposed. Today, gastric bypass surgery is typically performed with the help of a small, tube-like instrument called a laparoscope. A laparoscope has a microscopic camera attached to the top, which gives the surgeon a clear view of your insides when small incisions are made. Laparoscopic bypass surgeries are far more convenient because there are fewer wound-related problems, resulting in fast recovery time and a shorter hospital stay. Not everyone can handle a laparoscopic bypass surgery, however; for cases like these, an open bypass surgery can be undertaken.

After the surgery is complete, you cannot eat anything at all for up to three days. This gives your stomach enough time to heal. But after the three-day period is over, don’t think that you can eat just anything. You have to follow a very strict diet for 12 weeks. The diet starts with liquids, then soft or pureed foods, until you can finally eat regular food.