Gastric Bypass (Weight Loss) Surgery:

The term weight loss surgery or gastric bypass surgery is made up of a series of surgeries whose aim is to change the way that a patient’s body absorbs food. The goal is to reduce a patient’s weight not only through surgery but through a lifestyle change.

This type of surgery is not considered a cosmetic procedure.  This type of surgery is a medical procedure that helps to correct excessive weight in patients in high-risk categories or extreme obesity.

This type of procedure is not all-encompassing. Instead, it forms part of an entire treatment plan that involves nutritionists, a physical therapist, mental health specialists, internal medicine specialists and the gastric bypass surgeon.

The length of the procedure is 2-3 hours

Expected hospital stay is 2-3 nights

Average recovery time before being able to travel home is around 7 days.

How do I know whether I am a candidate for Gastric Bypass surgery?

• Is your body mass index (BMI) over 40kg/M2?
• Do you have some chronic clinical conditions such as (but not limited to) diabetes and hypertension and is your BMI between 35-40kg/M2?
• Do you have sleep apnea that will improve through weight loss?
• Have you failed with other types of weight-loss therapies for obese patients?

If so, then you can consider yourself a candidate for gastric bypass surgery.

Details of the Procedure:

The techniques and procedures that will be used  by  the surgeon will be discussed with you.

No two patients are entirely alike, so each technique will be described below:

Gastric Bypass: This is the procedure where the surgeon actually cuts the stomach into two parts. The larger of the two parts is stitched together and closed. The smaller part is directly connected to the middle section of the small intestine (jejunum). This is why it is called gastric bypass since the rest of the stomach and a section of the small intestine are bypassed. The procedure restricts the amount of food you can eat, and it decreases calorie absorption in the section of the small intestine called the duodenum.

If you are worried about complications from this type of surgery, the fact is that there is a less than 1% mortality rate.

What happens after the Surgery?

When you wake up from surgery,  you may feel bloated, and you may feel a constant urge to use the bathroom. During the hours directly following the surgery, all of the left-over gas will work its way through your digestive system, and it will be eliminated.

• Foley Catheter: There may be a need to use a Foley catheter during surgery, which is simply a tube that is placed into the bladder to drain urine into a plastic bag.  In order to avoid unnecessary complications, it is very important to drain urine.
• Deep Breathing: Your lungs are going to need plenty of exercise after surgery in order to avoid complications. Therefore, you are going to be required to breathe deeply through a series of ten breaths every hour. A spirometer may be prescribed by your physician to help you in this process.
• Deep Venous Thrombosis Prevention: Deep Venous Thrombosis or DVT is a very serious complication. You will have a tendency to form clots since you will be lying down for long periods of time and the blood in your legs will become static. In order to prevent DVT, medications, compression stockings, or pneumatic boots may be used. Special exercises for  you to perform at home may be prescribed by your doctor once you are recovering.
• Diet: You are going to go through a change in your diet. You will have a nutritionist who will assist you so that you can properly adjust your diet following your surgery.
• Walking: You will be instructed by your surgical team on when it will be considered safe for you to start walking and performing other activities.

Medications: Each patient is different, but medications that may be prescribed by your physician or surgeon while you are in the hospital are listed below. Benefits, risks, and alternatives to medication should be explained to you by the hospital’s nursing staff.

• Antibiotics: These are designed to help you reduce the risk of or avoid infection.
• Anti-nausea medicine: You can be made nauseous by anesthesia , and medication will help you feel better while you are recovering.
• Pain medication: You will receive a comprehensive pain-management plan after surgery. Your particular plan may include medicine, including a catheter that is placed in your spine, or a self-control pump so that you can manager your pain. After you have undergone surgery, pain from the procedure should be minimal, but all efforts will be made to make you feel comfortable and at ease.
• Sleep inducers: Your first few nights of restful sleep are extremely important to your recovery, and sleep medication will assist you in getting a good night’s rest.
• Other medications: There may be other medications administered if they are recommended by your physician.

Risks and alternatives to treatment:

There are inherent risks in all medical procedures, and gastric bypass is no exception. Risks are often minimal at best, by you need to be aware that they do exist. Since each patient is different, each patient will have his/her own set of possible risks, and these should be fully discussed with the surgeon and personal physician before the surgery is performed.

Allergic reactions to medication are the main risks associated with anesthesia, but you may also experience breathing difficulties.

Unexpected blood-loss, and damage to abdominal organs which may require a second surgery are the risks related to gastric bypass.

After successful surgery, you may still experience complications such as blood clots and infection.

Since there is a chance that complications may occur during or right after surgery, your surgery team is well-trained in how to deal with and lessen the chances of anything adverse occurring during or directly after surgery.

When complications do occur, a subsequent surgery may be required to correct the problem. You will be given full information by your surgeon about the options that are available if have any complications.

You Must Contact Your Surgeon if:

• You have a fever
• Your surgical wound is oozing or feels hot
• The problems for which you had the surgery worsen
• You develop a lot of pain in your legs
• When you pass urine, you have pain or a burning sensation.