Gastric Bypass Surgery – How It’s Done
Between 65 to 80 percent of excess weight is lost within the first two years after the gastric bypass. Dr. Nilesh Patel is a nationally recognized gastric bypass surgery expert and is the founder of Texas Bariatric Specialists. He has performed over 4,000 weight loss surgery procedures and has created a comprehensive multi-disciplinary approach for gastric bypass surgery in San Antonio.
The most common gastric bypass surgery is known as the Roux-en-Y. The Roux-en-Y surgery is a rerouting of the small intestines to a small pouch surgically created from the stomach. This type of gastric bypass surgery is a “permanent” procedure and has a high success rate and low mortality rate. In fact, since the procedure has been conducted for over 30 years, it is one of the most used in the United States. Nowadays most gastric bypass surgeries are laparoscopic (minimally invasive), which greatly reduces recovery time. You can find out more information about the surgery by attending one of our free seminars and speaking with one of our bariatric surgeons. As with all surgeries, there are advantages and disadvantages of gastric bypass surgery.
Gastric Bypass: Advantages and Disadvantages of Surgery
Advantages
Some of the more common advantages of having the gastric bypass done as a laparoscopic surgery are less pain, faster recovery, and quicker initial weight loss. There are typically lower re-operation rates as compared to other surgeries and much smaller incisions. Diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure are greatly improved or resolved and significant weight loss is achieved. Patients report sleeping better and most have improvement in fertility.
Disadvantages
Gastric bypass has a risk of bleeding, leaks and infections. Sometimes follow-up surgeries are required to correct complications. Upon rapid weight loss many patients complain about excess skin, which can occur with any type of rapid weight loss, even without bariatric surgery. Overeating can cause vomiting due to the small size of the stomach pouch. Additionally, there can be anemia and other vitamin deficiencies in the absence of proper follow-up care because the top portion of the small intestine has been bypassed.