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Gastric bypass surgery is one type of procedure that can be used to cause significant weight loss if you are very obese. The surgery reduces your body's intake of calories. Calorie reduction is accomplished in two ways:
- After the surgery, your stomach is smaller. You feel full faster and learn to reduce the amount that you eat at any given time.
- Part of your stomach and small intestines are literally bypassed (skipped over) so that fewer calories are absorbed. Unfortunately, sometimes nutrients are lost as well.
This is the most successful malabsorptive surgery. It involves creating a small stomach pouch that serves as a reservoir and restricts food intake. The pouch eventually holds up to 3 ounces of food and has a small outlet that delays emptying and causes a feeling of fullness. Then the surgeon creates a Y-shaped section in the small intestine that attaches to pouch and allows food to bypass the lower stomach and upper part of the intestine. One 2003 study reported that it was associated with significant weight loss, and furthermore 80% of patients with type 2 diabetes were able to reduce their medications.
The procedure produces greater and more sustained weight loss than banding procedures, but also it is more complicated and carries a higher risk for nutritional deficiencies. Laparoscopy techniques, which are less invasive, are showing promise for possibly reducing complications. |
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