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Know the full facts before Undergoing Gastric Bypass Surgery

Gastric bypass surgery involves changing the size of your stomach and altering your digestive system in order to reduce the capacity of your food intake. The ultimate purpose of the procedure is to help obese patients lose weight, and to lower the risks of health problems linked with obesity. See if you are a candidate for gastric bypass surgery.

Gastric bypass is popular these days; however, it is not for everyone who is overweight. It is not only major invasive surgery, but also a procedure that entails significant risk of post-operative complications. It must be exercised in conjunction with a major lifestyle change. After the surgery, the entire responsibility of weight loss and weight control rests on the patient’s shoulders.

Gastric bypass surgery complications do occur, so before settling for a gastric bypass, it is important to weigh all the pertinent factors in order to make an informed decision.

The Gastric Bypass Procedure
According to the Mayo website, gastric bypass surgery is executed as follows: “The surgeon creates a small pouch at the top of your stomach and adds a bypass around a segment of your stomach and small intestine. The surgeon staples your stomach across the top, sealing it off from the rest of your stomach. The resulting pouch is about the size of a walnut and can hold only about an ounce of food. The pouch is physically separated from the rest of the stomach. Then, the surgeon cuts the small intestine and sews part of it directly onto the pouch.”

Post-operative Facts
Immediately following gastric bypass surgery, the patient is not allowed to eat solid food for three days in order to give the stomach time to heal. A strict diet is mandatory; it consists of a gradual climb from liquids, purees, soft foods, to regular meals. Due to the stomach’s significant decrease in size, the portions are greatly reduced because the patient experiences fullness quicker. Consequently, the individual eats less and looses weight.

Potential Gastric Bypass Surgery Complications
There are some major considerations to acknowledge prior to deciding on gastric bypass surgery. The following is not meant to frighten you, but to inform you and guide you into making your decision.

First and foremost, an inexperienced, disreputable and/or uncooperative surgeon should cause you to think twice. Ask the surgeon about his experience level regarding this particular operation, and his rate of success. A recent study by researchers at the University of Washington found that 1 in 50 people die within one month of having gastric bypass surgery, and that figure jumps nearly fivefold if the surgeon is inexperienced. Attorney Herman Praszkier states, "You want to know, basically, as much information about the surgeon's background as you can. Anyone who evades your question, get up and walk out."

Following a gastric bypass, a patient’s stomach is sometimes unable to fully absorb food nutrients. This can lead to calcium, iron, vitamins B12 and protein deficiencies. Note that 30% of patients experience nutritional deficiencies; hence a strict adherence to the post operative diet is highly advised. A life-long vitamin program to compensate for B12, iron and calcium is mandatory. Different versions of gastric bypass procedures will have varying degrees of potential nutrient deficiency. Consult your doctor and inquire as to whether or not this particular problem is associated with the type of bypass gastric surgery you are contemplating.

When connecting the parts of the stomach together, the surgeon must rely on the patient’s body to form tight seals. One of the common gastric bypass surgery complications consists of fluids that can drip into the abdominal cavity when the body does not heal and seal properly, causing potential infection and abscesses.

Other gastric bypass surgery complications may include body aches, tiredness, feeling cold, dry skin, thinning hair and or hair loss and mood changes.

It is said that 10 to 20% of patients require follow-up surgery in order to solve complications arising for their gastric bypass surgery, and 3% of patients die within 15 years after the surgery.

However, recent studies show that obese persons who undergo gastric bypass surgery reduce their chances of premature death by up to 89% compared to those who do not choose the procedure. Hopefully, with the ongoing development of modern medicine and new surgical procedures, gastric bypass surgery procedures will improve.