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Confirmation
 Gastric
Bypass
Surgery
via the
Roux-en-Y procedure
is
generally
considered
to be
the best
surgical
procedure
for the
treatment
of
morbid
obesity.
Weight
loss is
achieved
when the
functional
portion
of your
stomach
reduced
to a
pouch
that is
about
one
ounce is
size,
and by
creating
a small
opening
between
the
stomach
and the
intestine.
The size
of your
new
stomach
will
cause
you to
feel
full
after
eating
only a
small
amount
of food.
Since it
will
also
take
longer
for your
stomach
to
empty,
you will
also
feel
full for
a longer
amount
of time.
The limb of intestine coming down from the small pouch is called the Roux
limb. The limb of intestine coming down from the bypassed portion of the
stomach can be called the Bypassed limb. The remaining portion
of the intestine is called the Common Channel. Both of these result in less
absorption of nutrients and contribute to weight loss, and are called the
malabsorptive components of the procedure.
Exactly how the
procedure is done varies from patient to patient and depends on your individual anatomy,
general health status, whatever changes you may have from prior
surgeries, and what you hope to be achieve from the operation. The
stomach compartments can be completely divided from each other or simply
partitioned, the small stomach pouch and the intestinal limbs may be
connected to each other with either staples or sutures, a small band may
be placed around the stomach pouch, and the two intestinal limbs may be
made longer or shorter.
You
will be on a clear liquid diet for the first few days immediately
following gastric bypass surgery, and then advance to a pureed diet. These
foods must be
very soft so they can pass easily through your new and smaller stomach.
One of the main issues during this period will be adequate fluid intake,
and dehydration can be a problem while you are recovering from the
surgery. You will need to take in at least 32 ounces of liquid a
day before leaving the hospital.
Approximately one month after surgery you can expect to advance to a
transitional diet. You will begin to eat more regular table foods, but may still go back to eating pureed foods
if they are more easily tolerated.
It will take
some time for you to learn how to eat differently. This includes chewing
carefully, learning to drink most liquids between meals rather than with
meals, and learning that eating the wrong foods such as junk food or fatty
foods can make you sick. 
The
first few months after surgery are an exciting time, as this when you will
experience the most rapid weight loss. Although you may lose close to 20
pounds a month, you also may experience a significant decrease in energy,
as the amount of calories you are consuming is considerable less that what
you're used to. You will need to be careful not to eat too much too
quickly and side-effects such as diarrhea can be controlled by avoiding
certain foods or taking specific medications. Hair loss is also a symptom
of rapid weight loss but usually begins to grow back within a few months.
Six
months after the surgery you will probably be on a long-term maintenance diet,
which is more or less what and how you will eat for the rest of your
life. The maintenance diet for the most part consists of regular table
foods, but in smaller portions. Most patients describe their meals as child
sized, and often do not finish what they are served. You will grow
accustomed to eating these smaller meals and most likely will be
compensated by the ability to successfully control your weight.
You can expect to lose approximately 70% of your excess body weight
during the first 2 years following surgery. Some patients will regain
about 10% between the 2nd and 5th year after surgery, mostly because
the stomach has slowly increased in size or because patients eventually
learn to consume more calories without feeling sick.
Staying involved in a support group and being consistent with your
follow-up visits will help to reinforce what you learned after the surgery
and avoid regaining any weight. Long term success with gastric bypass
surgery requires a team effort by both you and your doctor.
Since
gastric bypass patients take in less food and absorb less of what they
take in, this makes them at risk for developing nutritional deficiencies.
You must also make a life long commitment to taking vitamin, mineral, and
possibly protein supplements. These
supplements will cost about $30.00 a month and can be purchased almost anywhere.
To
see if you qualify for gastric bypass surgery,
please click here to contact us now.
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