Understanding Gastric Bypass Surgery

Those who are uncomfortable with their weight can have gastric bypass surgery that will assist them in losing weight. Gastric bypass is a commonly successful surgery. With this surgery, the physician separates a walnut sized portion of the stomach from the lower portion of the stomach with staples, forming a small pouch at the top. Because the lower part of the stomach connects to the small intestine, the surgeon must relocate it so that it connects to the pouch at the top of the stomach.

Why this bariatric procedure is a gastric bypass is that instead of reconnecting the same portion of the small intestine (the duodenum), the surgeon attaches a lower portion of the small intestine (the jejunum) to the pouch thus bypassing a portion of the gastric system.

This gastric bypass of the duodenum reduces the amount of food that bodies absorb because the duodenum portion of the small intestine is where most food absorption and distribution occurs. The jejunum absorbs enough of the food to keep people healthy, but severely reduces the amount of calories bodies can process.

The gastric bypass is very effective in promoting weight loss in extremely obese people. This weight loss along with possible vitamin deficiency caused by gastric bypass can cause fatigue, hair thinning, moodiness, and weakness.

When people have weight loss because of gastric bypass, they might suffer from excess skin that remains after the patient loses the fat that previously supported it. Quite often those who undergo gastric bypass surgery seek out plastic surgeons well-qualified in contouring after weight loss.

Because of these and other more severe side effects during surgery, gastric bypass is not for everyone. Only extremely obese people and obese people with illnesses stemming from obesity should consider gastric bypass. Then, only if the health benefits gained from gastric bypass outweigh the risks should obese patients have gastric bypass.