Gastric Bypass Surgery

The last thing anyone wants to do is to spend most waking moments worrying about excess weight. Some people spend their entire lives dieting only to see their weight go up and up. When you weigh so much that you are considered obese, and you have tried dieting many times using conventional methods without results it may be necessary for you to consider more extreme weight loss options. Gastric bypass surgery, a type of bariatric surgery, is one option you can consider, but remember that it is not right for everyone.

Types of Gastric Bypass Surgery

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RGB) - This is the most common type of gastric bypass surgery performed. RGB involves stapling or banding the stomach so that it is a fraction of its former size. Next, a small portion of the small intestine is attached to the new stomach pouch, bypassing a large portion of the small intestine. This reduces the both nutrient and calorie absorption that occurs during digestion. A large benefit of this type of gastric bypass surgery is that it can be performed laparascopically in some people. Laparascopic surgery requires only small incisions and recovery time is much less than more invasive surgeries.

Extensive Gastric Bypass (biliopancreatic diversion) - In this less common type of gastric bypass surgery, the lower portion of the stomach is removed and just a small stomach pouch is left. This stomach pouch is then attached directly to the lower portion of the small intestine. Since most of the small intestine is bypassed in this operation, calorie absorption during digestion is greatly reduced. There is concern, however, that this aggressive gastric bypass surgery may also result in nutritional deficiencies.

Gastric Bypass Surgery - What to Expect

Anyone undergoing gastric bypass surgery is going to have to learn a whole new way of life. In most cases, the stomach is what is bypassed and foods go right to the intestines. However, there is usually a small section of the stomach that remains to capture and digest some foods, and then the rest of the stomach is sectioned off so that it is no longer functional. The part of the stomach that is left active will usually hold up to two or three teaspoons of food at a time, though it can vary from person to person. Expect the size to be very tiny.

What this means is that someone who has gastric bypass surgery will not be able to eat much more than a few tablespoons at a time. Some people have problems with this as they feel full but their old habits drive them to eat more than they should. Some throw up quite a bit and end up being very sick. Vitamins prescribed by the doctor are essential after gastric bypass. Amounts and types of foods are very important and have to be followed to the letter for safe and healthy weight loss.

One aspect of gastric bypass surgery that most do not consider is the emotion side of this surgery. This can be two fold. The first is that most who are obese often have an emotional reason why they overeat. Some smoke and/or drink to get rid of stress, and others eat. None are healthy, but that is the way it is. Those that overeat have to go into the surgery already equipped to deal with emotions in another way. If not, they will become severely depressed after surgery when their coping method is suddenly removed. For this reason, extensive therapy before surgery is recommended in order to address these issues.

Another complication with gastric bypass is the change in lifestyle as the weight comes off. Some feel that they will be happy once they are thin, and are shocked when they realize that losing weight isn’t the answer to all their troubles. This is why therapy before and after bariatric surgery is essential, and why no one should rush in. Read the article "Is Weight Loss Surgery Right for You?" for more information.

Gastric bypass surgery can be a life-saving weight loss option that can help obese people finally lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle. However, gastric bypass surgery is a major surgery and should always be done for the right reasons and with the healthiest approach possible for the best results both for weight loss reasons and emotional reasons.