If you are obese and have struggled to lose weight and keep it off, you may find yourself facing severe health concerns due to excess weight.
These situations can require fundamental change to obtain better health – and that fundamental change may come in the form of bariatric surgery.
For instance, the gastric bypass. Also known as the Roux-en-Y (RNY) procedure, gastric bypass offers perhaps the most surefire and quickest route to meaningful weight loss. That does not make the procedure foolproof, but it does mean that gastric bypass offers a route to health when other avenues fail.
But what is gastric bypass? What are the components of the surgery? And what does it mean for the body and life of the patient long term? Longstreet Clinic Center for Weight Management surgeon Eric J. Velazquez, M.D., FACS, offers his expertise and experience below.
What is Gastric Bypass?
“The Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass is a surgical procedure for the treatment of obesity, and it offers about 82 percent of excess weightloss,” Dr. Velazquez said. “It is a procedure with very low complication rates.”
First performed in 1959, the gastric bypass has undergone many advancements over time but has long been considered one of the safest and most effective bariatric procedures. In fact, the RNY now requires only a few small incisions to complete, and a minimal hospital stay for the patient.
“These procedures are performed with a minimally invasive technique, using small incisions to access the abdominal cavity, and usually the hospital stay is very short – the majority of times only one night,” Dr. Velazquez said.
And from this, patients may expect radical weight loss over a relatively short period of time. In fact, patients at the Center for Weight Management average 80 percent of excess body weight lost at 24 months following surgery.
This reality is exactly why the gastric bypass offers the perfect solution for patients battling obesity and other co-morbidities. It is also why it may be preferred over other bariatric procedures – such as a sleeve gastrectomy or duodenal switch – for those who have a Body Mass Index of 40 or above.
“The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is usually reserved for patients who have a high BMI or who have severe type-2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome,” Dr. Velazquez said. “(RNY) offers slightly more weight loss than sleeve gastrectomy.”
Longstreet Clinic’s Center for Weight Management doctors have performed over 1,000 Roux-en-Y (RNY) gastric bypass surgeries since 2002 – with excellent results and a low complication rate. And they have seen the procedure make meaningful differences for patients who suffer from several health concerns due to obesity, including:
- Pulmonary Disease (includes abnormal function, sleep apnea, hypoventilation syndrome)
- Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (includes steatosis, steatohepatitis, cirrhosis)
- Gall Bladder Disease
- Gynecological abnormalities (includes abnormal menses, infertility, polycystic ovarian syndrome)
- Osteoarthritis
- Gout
- Phlebitis
- Cancer (includes breast, uterus, cervix, colon, esophagus, pancreas, kidney, prostate)
- Coronary Heart Disease (includes dyslipidemia, hypertension)
- Type 2 diabetes
- Cataracts
- Stroke
- Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension
However, this type of lasting, significant change requires a lasting change to the patient’s anatomy.
What is involved in Gastric Bypass surgery?
“The procedure has two components: A restrictive component that entails making the stomach smaller, and a malabsorptive component that entails the rerouting of the small bowel to divert food from the first portion of the small bowel and prevent the absorption of calories and nutrients from that food,” Dr. Velazquez said.
During surgery, doctors divide a golf ball-sized part of the patient’s stomach – completely separating it from the rest of the stomach in most cases. The result is that ingested food only enters the smaller portion of the stomach, restricting the amount a patient can eat. This makes makes them feel full quickly and even changes gut hormones – meaning patients feel full longer. In fact, appetite suppression is a key part of long-term weight loss.
Doctors will also attach a branch of the small bowel to the new, small stomach. While it sounds complicated, it is a relatively straightforward and safe procedure. In fact, the biggest changes come for the patient in the days, weeks, and months following surgery.
What does the aftermath of Gastric Bypass look like?
Since food is moved quicker through the digestive process, less of it is absorbed, which means fewer calories can be obtained. But that also means fewer nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals. The result is that patients must take vitamin supplements for the remainder of their lives. Constant water intake is also a must to help process the nutrients and vitamins.
Beyond that, there also mental and psychological changes gastric bypass patients must make. No bariatric surgery should be viewed as a “quick fix,” and that is certainly true of gastric bypass. In fact, the procedure is a method to kickstart rapid weight loss for those patients in desperate need of a change to regain control of their health.
In the first few weeks following the procedure, patients are only able to ingest small amounts of soft food and drink – sometimes measured as small as tablespoons – before eventually adding solid foods back into their diet.
To maintain the weight loss that patients begin to experience directly following, and in the years post-operation, they must continue to adhere to strict guidelines. With that in mind, the Center for Weight Management is there to support you each step of the way. Our board-certified staff will provide you with concrete nutritional guidelines and will educate you on everything you can expect following the changes you have undertaken.
To that end, Longstreet also hosts patient support groups – a key for many who experience the highs and lows of bariatric surgery, which can provide tremendous success but requires a winning mindset and a willingness to listen.
The results of this approach are a proven success. Statistics show that 80 percent of gastric bypass patients lose at least half of their excess body weight and maintain that loss for more than five years. The average weight loss equaled 80 percent of excess body weight. And because of very quick weight loss within the first few days and weeks of surgery, more than 96 percent of health problems related to morbid obesity are completely resolved and reversed during that time.
Learn more about Gastric Bypass and if it’s right for you
Gastric bypass offers a route to better health when others fail. However, it requires a major change and should not be undertaken lightly. That’s why the team of providers at the Center for Weight Management work closely with each and every patient in their care to determine the best path.
We’re here to help you start that journey whenever you are ready. Gastric bypass may offer you the best course of action, but we will make sure that you discover the health track that serves you best. Visit www.longstreetclinic.com/specialties/center-for-weight-management/ to learn more or contact Dr. Velazquez and his caring staff today at 770-534-0110.
