Roux en-Y Gastric Bypass

Surgery -13 Days

I have opted to have the Roux en-Y gastric bypass. The procedure has a good track record and long-term results. While the less invasive nature of the lap band was appealing, I felt the combination of restriction, absorption, and physiological changes of the gastric bypass was a better option for me.

Graphic depiction of anatomy of Gastric Bypass, Roux en-Y (Proximal Technique)
Courtesy of Ethicon Endosurgery, used with permission.

Gastric bypass procedures (GBP) are any of a group of similar operations that first divides the stomach into a small upper pouch and a much larger lower "remnant" pouch and then re-arranges the small intestine to connect to both. Surgeons have developed several different ways to reconnect the intestine, thus leading to several different GBP names. Any GBP leads to a marked reduction in the functional volume of the stomach, accompanied by an altered physiological and physical response to food.

The small intestine is divided approximately 45 cm (18 in) below the lower stomach outlet and is re-arranged into a Y-configuration, enabling outflow of food from the small upper stomach pouch via a "Roux limb". In the proximal version, the Y-intersection is formed near the upper (proximal) end of the small intestine. The Roux limb is constructed using 80–150 cm (31–59 in) of the small intestine, preserving the rest (and the majority) of it for absorbing nutrients. The patient will experience very rapid onset of the stomach feeling full, followed by a growing satiety (or "indifference" to food) shortly after the start of a meal ("Gastric bypass surgery," 2012).

Gastric bypass surgery. (2012, April 8). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved April 12, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gastric_bypass_surgery&oldid=486249276