Gastric Bypass
Surgery and Weight Loss
By Scott
Michaels
Gastric bypass (also called bariatric surgery) closes off a
large portion of the stomach, leaving only a pouch the size of
an egg. Gastric bypass works by restricting food intake.
Patients feel full after eating small amounts of food. Fewer
calories are eaten and weight is lost. Gastric bypass patients
typically lose 70% of their excess weight, most of it in the
first year after surgery.
Gastric bypass surgery combines the creation of a small stomach
pouch to restrict food intake and construction of bypasses of
the duodenum and other segments of the small intestine to cause
malabsorption (decreased ability to absorb nutrients from food).
There are two types of gastric bypass surgery:
Roux-en-Y
gastric bypass (RGB) and extensive gastric bypass
(biliopancreatic diversion).
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
is the most common gastric bypass
procedure performed in the U.S. First, a small stomach pouch is
created by stapling part of the stomach together or by vertical
banding. This limits how much food you can eat. Next, a
Y-shaped section of the small intestine is attached to the
pouch to allow food to bypass the duodenum as well as the first
portion of the jejunum. This causes reduced calorie and nutrient
absorption. This procedure can now be done with a laparoscope (a
thin telescope-like instrument for viewing inside the abdomen)
in some people. This involves using small incisions and
generally has a more rapid recovery time.
In extensive gastric bypass
– a more complicated gastric bypass
operation - the lower portion of the stomach is removed. The
small pouch that remains is connected directly to the final
segment of the small intestine, thus completely bypassing both
the duodenum and jejunum. Although this procedure successfully
promotes weight loss, it is not as widely used because of the
high risk for nutritional deficiencies.
Gastric bypass operations that cause malabsorption and restrict
food intake produce more weight loss than restriction
operations, which only decrease food intake. People who have
bypass operations generally lose two-thirds of their excess
weight within 2 years.
There are risks associated with gastric bypass surgery.
People
who undergo this procedure are at risk for:
-
pouch stretching
(stomach gets bigger overtime, stretching back to its normal
size before surgery),
-
band erosion (the band closing off part
of the stomach disintegrates),
-
breakdown of staple lines (band
and staples fall apart, reversing procedure),
-
leakage of
stomach contents into the abdomen (this is dangerous because
the acid can eat away other organs),
-
nutritional deficiencies
causing health problems.
Gastric bypass operations also may cause "dumping syndrome,"
whereby stomach contents move too rapidly through the small
intestine. Symptoms include nausea, weakness, sweating,
faintness, and, occasionally, diarrhea after eating, as well as
the inability to eat sweets without becoming extremely weak.
Gallstones can occur in response to rapid weight loss. They can
be dissolved with medication taken after the surgery.
The limited absorption of vitamin B12 and iron can cause
anemia. The lack of calcium absorption can cause osteoporosis
and metabolic bone disease. People who undergo this procedure
are required to take nutritional supplements that usually
prevent these deficiencies.
The more extensive the bypass
operation, the greater is the risk for complications and
nutritional deficiencies.
People who undergo extensive bypasses
of the normal digestive process require not only close
monitoring, but also lifelong use of special foods and
medications.
Low
carbs, the bottom line: you may lose weight quicker on a
low-carbohydrate diet than on a diet to cut calories. However,
don't expect to lose as much weight as diet books say you will
and remember that the risks of heart disease, stroke, cancer,
and osteoporosis for people on low-carb diets have not been
tested. There's plenty of research that shows the way to go is
moderation in eating a diet rich in fruits, veggies, beans,
whole grains, seafood, poultry, and low-fat dairy products.
Author: Scott Michaels
About The Author: What is gastric bypass surgery? What types of
gastric bypass operations are there? Are there risks associated
with gastric bypass surgery? What health problems can
nutritional deficiencies cause?
http://www.gastricbypass1.info
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