What is a Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass?
Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass is a minimally invasive operation that reduces the stomach capacity to a very small volume and limits food intake, which helps a person to achieve complete and long-lasting weight loss.
How is it done?
The operation is performed, using laparoscopic technique via 6 small incisions (1-2 cm. each) in the abdomen. Using stapling instruments, a new tiny stomach pouch is constructed to a volume of 15-30 ml. It is then connected directly to the small intestine, bypassing most of the stomach. Because the operation is a minimally invasive procedure, incisional pain is usually minimal.
You can see an
example image (drawing) of the Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass.
Why is it done?
The purpose of the operation is to reduce food intake to a very small quantity without causing hunger. Appetite is dramatically controlled by the restrictive effect of the new stomach pouch, which is filled up when just a small amount of food is consumed, leading to an early feeling of fullness in the course of eating a meal. With reduced calorie intake, the body consumes stored body fat in order to meet the daily calorie need, resulting in rapid loss of body fat weight. With time, the restrictive effect of the stomach pouch gradually diminishes but never disappears completely. This gradually allows bigger meal-sizes until a normal size is reached in 12-18 months, at which point most of the unwanted excess body fat is completely depleted.
Candidate eligibility
Candidates for laparoscopic Gastric bypass are at least 45 kg.(100lb) overweight, which is equivalent to having a BMI ( Body Mass Index) of 40.Less overweight individuals with a BMI of 35 may be considered candidates for surgery, if they suffer from obesity-related co-morbid conditions, e.g. diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, sleep apnea, pain in weight-bearing joints that interferes with job or lifestyle, etc.
Risks & complications
Major surgical complications requiring a return to the operation room occur in about 1% of patients, and include bleeding, infection, leakage, organ injury and intestinal obstruction. Risks from developing blood clot in the deep vein of the legs and the lungs are kept to a minimum by employing prophylactic blood thinner, leg pumps and early ambulation.
After surgery, eating habits need to be adjusted to the new small stomach capacity. Failure to control eating behavior and repeated over-eating may cause excessive vomiting, but usually only in the first few months following surgery.
Alternatives
When the degree of overweight reaches the level of Morbid Obesity (BMI over 35-40), non–surgical attempts at weight control fail 95% of the time. Surgical weight loss is currently the only effective and long-lasting weight control, with 85% success rate for Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass operation. Other less effective operations, including Laparoscopic Gastric Banding and Sleeve Gastrectomy, are not recommended.
BMI = body weight in kg / (height in meters)2