Gastric bypass surgery is designed to help patients lose weight by changing how the stomach and small intestine work to digest food. Specifically, this weight loss surgery will decrease the size of the stomach so that food cannot fill the smaller areas of the stomach, which makes you feel fuller, faster.
There are two main steps during a bypass surgery. The first step is stapling the stomach into two sections, a top section, called the pouch, and a large bottom section. The pouch is about the size of a walnut and will hold one ounce of food. The second step connects a small part of the small intestine to the pouch. Because the stomach holds less food than before, the body will absorb fewer calories.
The surgeons are trained on the latest surgical equipment, giving patients the freedom to choose less invasive procedures. Laparoscopic procedures offer the patients the benefit of small incisions, less pain, fewer complications, and a faster recovery time. The wound size in traditional surgery can often be substantially larger than the two-inch incisions left behind from laparoscopic equipment.
Under general anesthesia, the stomach is divided into a smaller upper portion and a larger bottom portion. The new upper pouch is connected to the small intestine. The surgery takes approximately two to four hours.
If your primary care physician has suggested weight loss surgery as an option, sign up now for a free online information session so that you can learn more about your options for weight loss surgery. You can also call (855) 314-8350 for a free physician referral.
