Gastric bypass is a type of weight loss surgery used for the treatment of obesity, where the stomach is stapled to form a pouch in order to make you feel full after eating less food.
What is a gastric bypass?
Gastric bypass is a surgery where the stomach is stapled to form a pouch. This pouch enables food to bypass the lower stomach and a portion of the small intestine, which changes the way your body manages your food intake and effectively makes you feel full on less food. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is the most commonly performed gastric bypass surgery.
The gastric bypass surgery is performed as a standard open procedure or as a laparoscopic procedure. A laparoscopic approach involves making several small incisions rather than the single large incision of an open procedure for a minimally invasive approach. In a laparoscopic procedure, small instruments and a tiny camera are used to guide the surgery. During the surgery, your surgeon staples along the upper part of the stomach to create a small stomach. Next, the small intestine is cut into two sections, and the lower section of the small intestine is attached to the opening in the stomach pouch.
Your obesity surgeon will decide which surgery is best for you.
The outcome of a gastric bypass
In addition to quick and dramatic weight loss, gastric bypass surgery could also improve health issues associated with severe obesity.
Some health funds will cover lap gastric bypass surgery. Please check with your health plans for details.
How does lap gastric bypass help you lose weight?
The pouch can hold only a few ounces of food at a time, and by bypassing the small intestine and the stomach, fewer calories and nutrients from the food are absorbed. As a result, you’ll consume less food, absorb fewer calories, and achieve weight loss – all without feeling hungry.