The simple explanation of gastric bypass surgery is that it combines a number of surgeries into one operation. Gastric bypass surgery can also be referred to as stomach bypass surgery.
Gastric bypass surgery is the most common type of weight loss surgery. In stomach reduction surgery, a small stomach pouch is created with the remaining stomach and then attached to what would be considered the middle part of the small intestine (duodenum). Something that happens during gastric bypass surgery is that 2/3 of the stomach is removed and what’s left is stapled up into what’s called a gastric bypass.
This causes what would normally take hours to digest, only to be digested in minutes. Something else that happens during gastric bypass surgery is that the pouch made from what was the stomach and what was left of what used to be part of the small intestine is where food enters into and then it quickly moves into the middle part of what used to be the small intestine.
Benefits of Stomach Bypass Surgery
While losing weight quickly may sound like a good idea, the benefits of gastric bypass surgery should actually provide individuals with others such as better health and long life because the body is recovering from the damage it has done by being overweight.
Other benefits of gastric bypass surgery are that an individual can lose about 70% of excess weight within one year. It is a safe weight loss surgery, effective, one hardly has to exercise and there is little change in daily life once they get past the first few weeks after surgery. Another benefit of gastric bypass surgery is that it requires very little time.
Additionally, gastric bypass surgery saves money if considering the long-term benefits of better health and longer life, which result in fewer doctor visits over a lifetime. There are also no special diets or cooking products to buy after the weight loss surgery.
Other benefits include:
- Long-term remission for type 2 diabetes. According to a study, bariatric surgery causes long-term remission of type 2 diabetes. The results of this study show the procedure is incredibly effective for obese and overweight patients with type 2 diabetes, assisting almost all patients to remain free of insulin and other related medications for at least three years after surgery.
- Improved cardiovascular health. Weight loss surgery helps decrease a person’s risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral heart disease. Additionally, one study reported that the weight loss achieved from the surgery may help prevent the risk of death related to a stroke, as well as hypertension and myocardial infarction. Blood pressure and cholesterol levels may return to normal, or near-normal after surgery, reducing these risks and improving overall well-being.
- Relief of depression. Many obese and overweight individuals feel depressed because of poor body image and social pressure. Some younger people who carry excess weight can at times find it difficult to participate in activities they might otherwise enjoy, leading to social isolation and depression. Losing excess weight may improve emotional health in these individuals. Some people who underwent bariatric surgery had a 32.7% decrease in depression at the time of surgery and a 16.5% decrease six to 12 months after surgery.
Complications and Gastric Sleeve Surgery Risks
Though mostly beneficial, gastric sleeve surgery risks do exist. Gastric bypass surgery may cause what is called mal-absorption of what an individual eats because what is left of what used to be the stomach isn’t able to absorb as many nutrients from food because it just does not have that large of a surface area.
Gastric bypass surgery also causes what would be called “dumping syndrome” because what used to be the small stomach pouch makes gastrin peptides, which turns what would normally take hours to digest to only minutes; and what’s left of what used to be the small intestine absorbs sugars at an incredible rate.
Another complication to gastric bypass surgery is that there are risks of leaks in the new connection to what would be considered the small intestine because of sutures failing. Ulcers may form due to bacteria from the large intestine, which has nowhere else to go, end up in the new connection to what used to be the small intestine due to leaks.
There may be nausea and vomiting after gastric bypass surgery, risks are that an individual can develop from dumping syndrome which can also cause symptoms such as diarrhea, gas pains, light-headedness, weakness, sweating and rapid heartbeat. It can also cause malnutrition due to mal-absorption, which means an individual does not absorb as many nutrients from what they eat. Other risks include:
- Bleeding
- Infection, including a leak from the staple lines from the stomach or small bowel
- Intestinal Blockage
- Blood clots in the legs may travel to the lungs and heart
- Heart attack
- Required follow-up surgery
- Gallstones (a later complication), which may require the removal of the gallbladder
- Nutritional deficiencies from improper absorption (a later complication)
- Mental health problems after the procedure
- Incorrect wound healing, including incision scarring, and a hernia at the incisions
- Problems with the band or the port, which require more surgery
- Gastric reflux
Gastric Surgery Types
There are several types of gastric bypass surgery. One type is called adjustable gastric banding, which is when an individual’s stomach is reduced in size by putting a band around it to create a smaller opening into the new connection to what would be considered the small intestine. There are risks that can occur because there could be too much pressure on the stomach tissue, which may cause the band to slip out of place or be broken.
Another type of gastric bypass surgery is called Roux-en-Y where what’s left of what used to be the stomach is connected to what would be considered the middle part of what used to be the small intestine. Different ypes of gastric bypass surgery are available, including laparoscopic (which is done by hand through small incisions) and open surgeries (in which the surgeon makes a larger cut into the abdomen that requires sutures afterward).
Another type is sleeve gastrectomy, which removes 85% of the stomach. This type of surgery is also known as gastric sleeve or vertical sleeve gastrectomy. It gets its name because the surgery modifies the stomach and fits it into a narrow tube resembling a sleeve. This sleeve limits the amount of food it holds, causing the individual to feel full much faster.
A lesser-known type of gastric bypass surgery is a biliopancreatic diversion with a duodenal switch. During this surgery, the surgeon removes part of the stomach to create a gastric sleeve, much like with the sleeve gastrectomy. This sleeve is subsequently attached to part of the lower small intestine. This causes the sleeve to hold less food, and the body to absorb fewer calories and nutrients from food.
Gastric Sleeve Compared to Gastric Bypass
For individuals considering getting any type of gastric bypass, it may be difficult to decide which one is best. The two most common types are gastric sleeve and gastric bypass, so a comparison of gastric sleeve vs. gastric bypass may be necessary.
Sleeve gastrectomy is more complicated than adjustable gastric banding, due to much of the stomach being removed. However, food still travels the same way it did before surgery, and vitamins like calcium and iron are digested very similarly. If an individual needs an upper endoscopy at a later date, the endoscopist sees the same structures. This differs from gastric bypass surgery, in which it is much more difficult to see parts of the duodenum and stomach.
An individual can lose from 50 to 100 pounds with a sleeve gasterectomy if they exercise and eat properly. As time passes, the sleeve may get larger or dilate. This indicates that an individual can start eating more food and gaining weight as normal again. Another potential side effect of this surgery is reflux or heartburn, which may require medication to treat. If an individual already suffers from these conditions, a sleeve gastrectomy could make it worse.
Gastric bypass is more complicated than sleeve gastrectomy. Gastric bypass is beneficial for weight loss, since an individual may lose 100 pounds or more. It is also one of the most recommended surgeries to help improve or resolve diabetes., heartburn, or reflux. Weight loss may continue for about a year, but after that, it’s not unusual to see some weight come back. The key factor to continue to lose weight or maintain a healthy one is eating proper foods and exercising regularly.
With gastric bypass, an individual is more likely to develop nutritional deficiency problems. They may need to take multivitamins, vitamin b-12, and calcium on a regular basis. If an individual smokes or takes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, it may be a risk of developing ulcers at the bottom of the stomach pouch.
Due to this surgery being on the small bowel, an individual may experience small bowel obstruction later in life and need surgery to correct it. Eating things like sugars may increase the risk of dumping syndrome. However, this syndrome can easily be avoided by eating the correct types of food. Because the bowel gets connected in 2 areas, there is also a risk of leakage of the bowel contents, which may require more surgery.
