Your doctor has recommended that you undergo laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery.
But what exactly does that mean?
Gastric Bypass is a surgical procedure used to help a patient lose weight.
It is usually recommended to help those who are morbidly obese - meaning that their weight
problem has become a serious health risk.
Most severely overweight patients overeat.
Food enters the body through the mouth, travels down the esophagus where it collects in the
stomach.
From there, digested food passes into the small intestine.
Nutrients taken from the food pass from the small intestine into the bloodstream.
Waste travels to the colon and leaves the body through the anus.
The amount of food that a person eats is partly controlled by appetite.
The stomach plays an important role in controlling appetite.
When the stomach is empty, a person feels the urge to eat.
When the stomach is full, that urge goes away.
Gastric bypass dramatically reduces the size of the stomach.
Gastric Bypass also shortens the small intestine so that the body absorbs less of the food
eaten.
With less food entering the body, fat stores begin to be used.
The patient loses weight.
So make sure that you ask your doctor to carefully explain the reasons behind this recommendation.
Then, when you are asleep, the surgical team will make an incision just above the navel.
A tube-shaped collar called a trocar will be placed inside the incision to hold it open.
Harmless carbon dioxide gas will be used to inflate the abdomen, serving to enlarge the
work area and to separate the organs.
The team then inserts the laparoscope.
Once in place, the laparoscope will provide video images that allow the surgeon to see
the inside of your abdomen.
Next, the team makes four more incisions - taking special care to keep the openings as small
as possible.
These openings will provide access for other surgical instruments.
Using these instruments your doctor will then cut the upper portion of the stomach from
the rest of the organ
This upper portion forms a small pouch which is sealed with a stapling tool.
The opening in the larger portion of the stomach is closed with staples.
The next step is to divide the small intestine.
The main part of the intestine is pulled upward, behind the colon and positioned near the small
upper stomach pouch.
The other free end of the intestine is surgically stitched to the side of an intestinal loop.
The other end is now attached to the small stomach pouch.
A new route for food passing from the esophagus into the intestines has now been created.
Finally, your doctor will check to make sure that all the new connections are secure and
that there are no leaks.
A drain is added to remove any excess fluids and the carbon dioxide is allowed to escape.
Then the team withdraws all surgical instruments and the incisions are closed with sutures
or staples.
Finally, a sterile dressing is applied.