What is Gastric Bypass Surgery?
Gastric bypass procedures are several types of operations used to treat morbid obesity and the health problems (comorbidities) related to it. Bariatric surgery is the term encompassing all of the surgical treatments for morbid obesity.
The first step of a gastric bypass is to divide the stomach into a small upper pouch and a larger, lower “remnant” pouch. After that, the small intestine is rearranged to allow both pouches to stay connected to it. This leads to a significant reduction in the functional volume of the stomach, accompanied by a different physiological and psychological response to food. The resulting weight loss, typically dramatic, also greatly reduces the health problems related to obesity. The long-term mortality rate of gastric bypass patients has been shown to be reduced by up to 40%.
Any surgery carries the risk of complications. There are several different factors that play a role in gastric bypass surgery risks. There are pre-existing risk factors, general complications common to all abdominal surgeries, specific gastric bypass surgery risks and risks related to the experience level of the surgeon.