WEIGHT LOSS: GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY
Question: Can you tell me about Gastric Bypass surgery as a weight-loss method? Does it work?
Answer: With each year that passes, more and more people are becoming obese in the United States. In some cases where other types of weight loss efforts have failed, surgery may be an option.
Surgery to promote weight loss works by limiting the amount of food the stomach can hold (restriction surgery), or by interrupting the digestion of that food. The BMI (body mass index) is a measure of a person's weight relative to their height. A BMI over 24 is considered overweight. Patients who have BMI of more than 40 (about 100 pounds overweight for men or 80 pounds overweight for women) are candidates for surgery. Patients with lower BMIs who have other chronic life-threatening illnesses may be candidates for surgery as well.
The most common type of surgery for weight loss is restriction surgery. There are different types of this surgery--for example, gastric banding or vertical-banded gastroplasty (stomach stapling)--but all work by limiting the amount of food that can enter the stomach at one time. This leads to an early sensation of fullness, which limits the amount of food consumed.
Restrictive operations lead to weight loss in almost all patients, but some patients do regain their weight. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), about 30% of patients who undergo vertical-banded gastroplasty achieve normal weight, and around 80% lose some weight.
Gastric bypass surgery creates a connection from the stomach to a part of the small intestine that is farther down from where the usual connection occurs. Since food is primarily absorbed in the small intestines, this type of surgery prevents food from being completely digested, and leads to malabsorption (poor absorption of food) and weight loss.
According to the NIDDK, patients who have gastric bypass operations usually lose two-thirds of their excess weight within 2 years.
The operations are not risk-free. In bypass operations, nutritional deficiencies and a condition known as "dumping syndrome" (rapid nausea, sweating, faintness, and diarrhea after eating) may occur. Both types of operations often lead to other complications that require more surgery. Results are not guaranteed either. You must be motivated to improve your eating and exercise habits.
