Gastric Bypass Surgery

Gastric Bypass Surgery

Gastric Bypass Surgery via the Roux-en-Y procedure is generally considered to be the best surgical procedure for the treatment of morbid obesity. Weight loss is achieved by reducing the functional portion of the stomach to a pouch one ounce or less in size, and by creating a stoma, a small opening between the stomach and the intestine.

After the gastric bypass procedure, a small size of the stomach pouch causes the patient to have a sensation of fullness after eating only a small portion of food. The small stoma delays stomach emptying, making the sensation of fullness last longer. These are called the Restrictive components of the procedure.

Gastric bypass surgery is an effective means of inducing significant long term weight loss for vast majority of patients with clinically severe obesity. After gastric bypass patient usually lost 50-70% of their excess weight within the first 5 years.

Patients will be on a clear liquid diet for the first few days immediately following gastric bypass surgery, and then advance to a pureed diet. These foods will be very soft, so as to pass through the small, newly formed pouch and stoma. One of the main issues during this period will be adequate fluid intake, and dehydration can be a problem for patients recovering from this surgery

Approximately one month after the gastric bypass surgery the patients can expect to advance to a transitional diet. They begin to take more regular table foods, but will often still go back to eating the pureed foods that they have tolerated well. They will still be learning how to eat right, including chewing food carefully, learning to drink most of their liquids between rather than with meals, and learning that eating the wrong foods, such as sweets or fatty foods, can make them ill.

Patients experience the most rapid weight loss during this period. They are often thrilled to see the weight coming off, sometimes at the rate of 20 pounds a month, but it is not an easy time. Patients feel the loss of calories taken in, and are sometimes low in energy. Their small pouch will make them uncomfortable when they eat too much or too fast. They may have diarrhea, which can usually be controlled by avoiding certain foods or by taking medication. They may experience hair loss, though the hair usually begins to grow back within a few months.

At 6 months after the gastric bypass surgery the patients will probably be on their long-term maintenance diet, which is more or less what and how they will eat for the rest of their lives. The maintenance diet for the most part consists of regular table foods, but in small portions. Most patients describe their meals as child sized, and they often do not finish what they are served. The patients generally become comfortable eating these small meals, and almost always say the loss of the ability to enjoy large meals or certain foods is more than compensated for by being able to successfully control their weight.

Other benefit of gastric bypass surgery for obese patients include, control of diabetes, lowered blood pressure and total cholesterol; relief from sleep apnoea, ease low back and osteoarthritis pain. Patient also report enhanced mobility and their mood and self-esteem also improve.

Gastric Bypass Surgery patients take in less food and absorb less of what they take in, making them at risk for developing nutritional deficiencies. They must also make a life long commitment to taking vitamin, mineral, and possibly protein supplements, and may become very ill if they don't.

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