Roux En Y Gastric Bypass Surgery or Gastric Bypass Surgery is a procedure where the stomach is permanently divided into two. The top part becomes the newly created and smaller stomach, and the rest is closed and remains in place. This portion now becomes the bypassed portion of the stomach. It will not receive what is eaten, but it will continue to assist with digestion by producing gastric acid and other digestive juices.
The “new” smaller stomach is connected directly to the middle portion of the small intestine, thus bypassing the rest of the stomach and the upper portion of the small intestine.
Gastric bypass causes weight loss for two reasons:
- The amount of food you are able to eat at one time is restricted by the small stomach size
- Food bypasses a portion of the small intestine where the absorption of nutrients occur
Weight loss occurs more quickly after gastric bypass than after purely restrictive procedures, but it also is considered a more invasive procedure.
Life-long follow up and strict adherence to the dietary guidelines set by your doctor and nutritionist are critical to a healthy and successful outcome.