Gastric bypass surgery is a major operation that can change the digestive system forever. It usually takes 1.5 to 2 hours to perform, and most patients stay in the hospital for 1 to 2 days before returning to work in 2 to 4 weeks. The procedure itself typically lasts two to four hours. After the surgery, you will wake up in a recovery room and be monitored for any complications.
You won't be able to eat solid foods yet, but you can drink liquids. The surgeon will make small incisions in your stomach and intestines, redirecting part of the digestive system so that food bypasses part of the stomach and reaches directly to the small intestine. The incisions are then closed with stitches or staples. Once this is done, you may eat liquids, but not solid foods, as your stomach and intestines begin to heal. Gastric bypass, also known as Roux-en-Y Y-gastric bypass, is a type of weight-loss surgery that involves creating a small pouch in the stomach and connecting it directly to the small intestine.
This means that when food passes through the digestive system, it will now bypass most of the stomach and the first part of the small intestine. Laparoscopic bariatric procedures such as sleeve gastrectomy, biliopancreatic bypass, bariatric revision surgery, robotic surgery, and gastric balloon endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty are also available. Gastric bypass is done when diet and exercise haven't worked or when you have serious health problems because of your weight. While 90% of Roux-en-Y Y-surgeries are performed laparoscopically, some people may need to undergo open surgery to control their specific conditions. Your bariatric surgeon will review with you all the possible risks, complications, and other weight-loss surgery options of gastric bypass surgery before the procedure. Follow-up studies of gastric bypass surgery have demonstrated significant and consistent weight loss decades later. Rarely, some Roux-en-Y laparoscopic Y surgeries may need to be converted to open surgery to be performed safely.
People who are seriously overweight and unable to lose weight with diet and exercise can resort to gastric bypass surgery.
