FAQs: Gastric Bypass Surgery

Obesity is often referred to as a ‘silent killer’ as it causes various health complications, some of which can even be fatal. Obese people are at a higher risk of various diseases such as heart problems, diabetes, stroke, blood pressure, etc. Also, an obese individual will most likely experience a lower quality of life. Their condition prevents them from participating in many activities that others can. With greater awareness about health and the need to be fit, many obese people are looking for weight loss solutions, and gastric bypass surgery has emerged as one of the most popular and effective ones. Gastric bypass surgery helps you lose weight by changing the way in which your stomach and small intestine process food. Simply put, it reduces the size of your stomach, your appetite, and reroutes the movement of food within your system, reducing the number of calories your body absorbs from this food. Following are answers to gastric bypass frequently asked questions that can clear your doubts:

Q. What are the steps in a gastric bypass surgery?

This is one of the gastric bypass common queries as the nature of the surgery puzzles many. Following are the steps in the procedure: Step 1: To make your stomach smaller, the surgeon will first divide your stomach into a small upper section and a large bottom section. Post-surgery, your food will be routed only to the former, which will now be the size of a walnut and be able to hold only about 1 ounce of food. This will help reduce your appetite, helping you eat less and thereby lose weight. Step 2: The surgeon will create a small passageway between your new smaller stomach pouch and your smaller intestine, rerouting the movement of food through your digestive system. This bypass will result in your body absorbing fewer calories from the food you eat.

Q. What are the types of gastric bypass surgery?

a. Open gastric bypass surgery: This is the traditional procedure wherein the surgeon makes a single large surgical cut on your belly and works on your stomach, small intestine and other organs through it. b. Laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery: In this type of procedure, a tiny camera called a laparoscope is placed inside you. The surgeon uses this to navigate internally and conduct the procedure with just a few small cuts on your belly. One of the gastric bypass frequently asked questions is whether laparoscopic surgery is better than open surgery. Laparoscopic surgery is highly recommended over open surgery as it involves less pain, a shorter hospital stay and quicker recovery time. It also leaves you with smaller scars and a reduced risk of infection.

Q. What are the advantages of gastric bypass surgery?

As compared to other weight loss methods, gastric bypass surgery is very effective and done under complete medical supervision. Your weight loss journey will start immediately after surgery when you lose a significant amount of weight. Subconsciously, you will start making better food choices as your body will display signs of discomfort when you eat food like carbohydrates, fats and sugars. Research shows that over 95% of obesity-related problems are resolved and even reversed post gastric bypass surgery.

Q. What are the risks of gastric bypass surgery?

There are no major risks related to the surgery. Post-operation, you need to be mindful of certain things. For example, the size of your stomach pouch may go back to its original size over time. You may face ‘dumping syndrome’ where the food moves very quickly from your stomach to your small intestine, and you absorb smaller amounts of nutrients.  keeping a check on your condition and consulting your doctor regularly helps in resolving many risks. The above information should cover most of the gastric bypass common queries. For any surgery,  it is crucial that you consult the right doctors before opting for the procedure. The team of experts at Apollo Spectra Hospitals will be able to guide you through the decision-making process and ensure that you have the best experience before, during and after the surgery.