There are risks to consider before making the decision to have the gastric bypass surgery. And a gastric bypass surgery patient must also qualify for the surgery. Relevant conditions for gastric bypass surgery include having been obese for at least 5 years, negative history of alcohol abuse and depression, and aged 18-65. Gastric bypass surgery, as every surgery, carries benefits as well as risks, so it is important to discuss both with your gastric bypass surgery surgeon.
Risks of the gastric bypass surgery include infection, risk of clotting, and possibly death (1.5% of gastric bypass surgery patients). A gastric bypass surgery patient can be in poorer health due to their obesity. After proper testing before gastric bypass surgery, a gastric bypass surgery patient has to consider:
Leaking from the stomach into the abdominal cavity or where the intestine connects
Gallstones
Anemia or Osteoporosis from nutritional deficiency
Staples may become loose
Ulcers
Nausea and vomiting
Hiccups, bloating
Dumping syndrome
Because of the numerous gastric bypass surgery risks, gastric bypass surgery patients will undergo a physical examination and a psychological evaluation prior to gastric bypass surgery. After gastric bypass surgery, a gastric bypass surgery patient's lifestyle must change. Gastric bypass surgery involves making the stomach smaller, thus previous eating behaviors can not continue after gastric bypass surgery.
The gastric bypass surgery can be performed in two different ways. The first gastric bypass surgery involves a large incision in the abdomen in order to access the stomach and intestine. This is called an open procedure. A laproscopic gastric bypass surgery method involves the use of small instruments that are guided in small incisions with a camera. Because of the smaller incisions, the gastric bypass surgery is less invasive with a shorter healing time.
Under anesthesia, the gastric bypass surgery can be performed in two steps. The first step in gastric bypass surgery involves making the stomach smaller. A gastric bypass surgery surgeon will divide the stomach into two sections: a smaller upper and a larger lower section. These are divided with staples that resemble stitches in the gastric bypass surgery. The result of gastric bypass surgery is a newly formed smaller upper section that will now contain the patient's food intake.
The second step in gastric bypass surgery is to connect a part of the small intestine to the smaller pouch. This new connection ("Roux limb") in the gastric bypass surgery will provide a new route for food intake and bypass the lower section of the stomach. The base of this connection will be connected to the remaining section of the small intestines, forming a Y shape after the gastric bypass surgery.
After gastric bypass surgery, a patient can expect a 4-6 day hospital stay for open gastric bypass surgery procedures, and a 2-3 day stay for laproscopic gastric bypass surgery. Following surgery, most gastric bypass surgery patients can expect to return to their normal activities in 3-5 weeks. If a gastric bypass surgery patient is strict to follow the new dietary guidelines, gastric bypass surgery may be the perfect answer to an obesity issue.
