What is Gastric Bypass?
What is Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass?
Laparoscopic gastric bypass is a minimally invasive procedure in which a small pouch is created by stapling the stomach along its upper portion. The surgery is indicated for the treatment of obesity, in patients overweight by more than 100 pounds. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is the most common gastric bypass surgery.
Surgical Procedure
Laparoscopic gastric bypass is performed under general anesthesia. Your surgeon makes 4 to 6 small keyhole incisions. A laparoscope (tube with a light and a miniature camera) is inserted through one of the incisions. The camera is fixed to a monitor, which allows your surgeon to get a magnified view of the operating field. Surgical instruments are inserted through the other incisions. A small pouch is created by stapling the upper part of the stomach or by using a plastic band. The smaller portion of the stomach is then attached directly to the small intestine. The incisions are closed with sutures.
After the surgery, the pouch can hold only a few ounces of food at a time, and the food bypasses a large portion of the lower stomach and the upper portion of the small intestine. As a result, you consume and feel full with less food, and absorb fewer calories, thereby helping you to lose weight.
Complications
Like all surgical procedures, laparoscopic gastric bypass may be associated with certain complications, which include bleeding, infection and blood clots.
Advantages
The advantages of laparoscopic gastric bypass include:
- Quick initial weight loss and moderately increased total weight loss
- Reduced hospital stay
- Less post-operative pain
- Smaller incisions and less scarring
- Improvement in health conditions associated with obesity
