Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 11/24/2009
A diagnosis of obesity relies on the patient's medical history and on a body weight assessment based on the body mass index (BMI) and on waist circumference measurements. According to the American Obesity Association (AOA), a BMI greater than 25 defines...
overweight and marks the point where the risk of disease increases from excess weight. A BMI greater than 30 defines obesity and marks the point where the risk of death increases from excess weight. Waist circumference exceeding 40 in (101 cm) in men and 35 in (89 cm) in women increases disease risk. Gastric bypass as a weight loss treatment is considered only for severely obese patients.
To prepare for surgery, the patient is asked to arrive at the hospital a few hours before surgery. While in the preoperative holding room, the patient meets the anesthesiologist who explains the procedure and answers any questions. An intravenous (IV) line is placed, and the patient may be given a sedative to help relax before going to the operating room.
Advertisement
This animation describes the three main types of bariatric surgery. Topics covered include gastric bypass surgery, adjustable gastric banding, and sleeve gastrectomy.
In this Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, a large incision is made down the middle of the abdomen (A).The stomach is separated into two sections. Most of the stomach will be bypassed, so food will no longer go to it. A section of jejunum (small intestine) is then brought up to empty food from the new smaller stomach (B). Finally, the surgeon connects the duodenum to the jejunum, allowing digestive secretions to mix with food further down the jejunum. (Illustration by GGS Inc.)
Other Information
Gastric bypass procedures (GBP) are any of a group of similar operations used to treat morbid obesity—the severe accumulation of excess weight as fatty tissue—and the health problems (comorbidities) it causes. Bariatric surgery is the term encompassing all of the surgical treatments for morbid obesity, not just gastric bypasses, which make up only one class of such operations.
A gastric bypass first divides the stomach into a small upper pouch and a much larger, lower "remnant" pouch and then re-arranges the small intestine to allow both pouches to stay connected to it. Surgeons have developed several different ways to reconnect the intestine, thus leading to several different GBP names. Any GBP leads to a marked reduction in the functional volume of the stomach, accompanied by an altered physiological and psychological response to food. The resulting weight loss, typically dramatic, markedly reduces comorbidities. The long-term mortality rate of gastric bypass patients has been shown to be reduced by up to 40%; however, complications are common and surgery-related death occurs within one month in 2% of patients.
Other Information
The number of Gastric Bypass surgeries climbed more than 600% from 1993 to 2003.
From: Bariatric-Surgery.info
Find a Qualified Specialist
Looking for a specialist?
Please enter your zip code.