Jackie Summers is a mother of 3 beautiful sons who lost 100 pounds in 8 months following the weight loss programs and information found in this website. She started this website to share what she had learnt so that you can make an informed decision to choose the best weight loss program for yourself. Gastric Bypass Surgery – An Overview & The Complications Involved
An overview, what to expect after the operation and what are the risks involved.
Losing weight through a healthy diet and regular exercise is always best. But what if you’ve tried dieting and exercising but still can’t lose the excess weight that’s causing your health problems? If that’s the case, weight-loss (bariatric) surgery may be an option for you.
Gastric bypass, which changes the anatomy of your digestive system to limit the amount of food you can eat and digest, is the favored bariatric surgery in the United States. Most surgeons prefer this procedure because it’s safer and has fewer complications than other available weight-loss surgeries. It can provide long-term, consistent weight loss if accompanied with ongoing behavior changes.
However, gastric bypass isn’t for everyone with obesity. It’s a major surgical procedure and may have significant risks and side effects which requires permanent changes in your lifestyle.
Who Is It For?
Generally, gastric bypass surgery is for you is you’re unable to achieve or maintain a healthy weight through diet and exercise, are severely overweight, and who have health problems as a result.
Gastric bypass may be considered if:
- Your body mass index (BMI) is 40 or higher (extreme obesity).
- Your BMI is 35 to 39.9 (obesity), and you have a serious weight-related health problems such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
Here are some other factors that may also be required or are at least considered:
- You have been obese for at least 5 years.
- You do not have a history of alcohol abuse.
- You do not have untreated depression or another major psychiatric disorder.
- You are between 18 and 65 years of age.
Gastric bypass surgery doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t follow a healthy diet and a regular exercise program. In fact, the success of the surgery depends on you following the guidelines given to you about diet and exercise.
As you consider weight-loss surgery, make sure that you’re willing to exercise, change your eating habits and adjust any other lifestyle factors that may have caused you to gain weight in the first place.
An Overview Of The Surgery
Gastric bypass surgery makes the stomach smaller and allows food to bypass part of the small intestine. You’ll feel full more quickly and this reduces the amount of food you eat and therefore, the calories consumed. Bypassing part of the intestine also results in fewer calories being absorbed, which leads to weight loss.
The most common gastric bypass surgery is a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.
In normal digestion, food passes through the stomach and enters the small intestine where most of the nutrients and calories are absorbed. It then passes into the large intestine (colon), and the remaining waste is eventually excreted.
In a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, the stomach is made smaller by creating a small pouch at the top of the stomach using surgical staples or a plastic band. The smaller stomach is connected directly to the middle portion of the small intestine bypassing the rest of the stomach and the upper portion of the small intestine.
This procedure can be done by making a large incision in the abdomen (an open procedure) or by making a small incision and using small instruments and a camera to guide the surgery (laparoscopic approach).
What Can You Expect After Surgery?
This surgery usually involves a 4- to 6-day hospital stay (2 to 3 days for a laparoscopic approach) and most people should be able to return to their normal activities within 3 to 5 weeks.
However, gastric bypass surgeries may cause a dumping syndrome which occurs when food moves too quickly through the stomach and intestines. It causes nausea, weakness, sweating, faintness, and possibly diarrhea soon after eating.
These symptoms are made worse by eating highly refined, high-calorie foods (like sweets) and in some cases, you may become so weak that you will have to lie down until these symptoms pass.
How Well Does It Work?
Most people who have gastric bypass surgery quickly begin to lose weight and continue to lose weight for up to 12 months. One study noted that people lost about one-third of their excess weight (the weight above what is considered healthy) in 1 to 4 years. Some of theis lost weight may be regained.
The laparoscopic approach showed similar results, with 69% to 82% of excess weight lost over a period of 12 to 54 months.
What Are The Risks Involved?
As with any major surgery, gastric bypass carries risks such as bleeding, infection and an adverse reaction to the anesthesia. Possible risks specific to this surgery include:
- Death. A risk of death has been associated with gastric bypass surgery. This risk varies and it depends on your age, general health and other medical conditions. Talk to your doctor about the exact level of risk gastric bypass surgery may pose for you.
- Blood clots in the legs. Blood clots in the legs are more likely to occur in very overweight people. Blood clots can be dangerous and in some cases, they travel to the lungs and lodge in the lungs’ arteries causing a pulmonary embolism — a serious condition that damages lung tissue and can lead to death. Walking and using leg wraps that apply intermittent pressure to the leg can help reduce this risk of blood clots in the legs.
- Leaking at one of the staple lines in the stomach. This severe postoperative problem would be treated with antibiotics and most cases heal with time. Sometimes, the leak can be serious enough to require emergency surgery.
- Pneumonia. Excess weight places extra stress on the chest cavity and lungs. This means a higher risk of developing pneumonia after the surgery.
- Narrowing of the opening between the stomach and small intestine. This rare complication may require either an outpatient procedure to pass a tube through your mouth to widen (dilate) the narrowed opening or corrective surgery.
Other common complications of gastric bypass surgery include:
- Vitamin and mineral deficiency
- Dehydration
- Gallstones
- Bleeding stomach ulcer
- Hernia at the incision site
- Intolerance to certain foods
Final Thoughts
Please note that gastric bypass surgery is a major surgical procedure and therefore carries significant risks.
The above is just a general overview of the surgery and should not be taken as professional medical advice. Please seek your doctor’s opinion if you’re interested in gastric bypass surgery.
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