›› Gastric Bypass Surgery
Gastric bypass
surgeries are procedures that limit the amount of food that can enter
the stomach. These procedures also reduce the amount of small
intestine that food will pass through, lowering the quantity of food
absorbed by the body. The idea behind a gastric bypass
surgery is to promote rapid and sustainable weight loss in people that
are morbidly obese.
Gastric bypass surgeries fall under two basic categories. The
more common variety is called a Roux-en Y gastric bypass surgery (RGB
surgery). This form of the procedure involves stapling a
portion of the stomach to form a smaller overall pouch, limiting the
amount of food the stomach can hold. A portion of the small
intestine is then reconnected to this pouch to bypass the upper parts
of the small intestine. A much more serious and permanent
procedure is the biliopancreatic diversion, or
‘extensive’ gastric bypass surgery. In
this procedure, the whole lower part of the stomach is physically
removed.
Regardless of the
type, gastric bypass surgeries are very serious procedures with
potentially damaging consequences. While it can be certain
that you’ll lose a lot of weight after having one done, you
are also at risk for some serious and harmful side effects.
First of all, the reduced amount of contact between your food and small
intestine can lead to serious nutrient deficiencies. A lack
of vitamin B 12 can lead to serious anemic conditions, and a lack of
calcium can lead to a number of serious bone diseases, including
osteoporosis.
After having a gastric bypass surgery, you’re also at risk
for stomach leakage. This is extremely dangerous, as the
highly acidic nature of your stomach contents can damage and even
dissolve organs and tissues surrounding your stomach. There
is also a condition called ‘dumping syndrome’ that
occurs in some people who’ve had a gastric bypass
surgery. Dumping syndrome occurs when food moves too fast
through your intestines, and causes weakness, sweating, fatigue,
nausea, and sometimes diarrhea.
Because of the
serious side effects, gastric bypass surgeries should be reserved for
people who are both morbidly obese and have repeatedly failed all other
weight loss attempts. Even though they are likewise risky,
the use of serious weight loss medication should be attempted prior to
a gastric bypass surgery. Unfortunately, there is a sort of
rising trend in people who are turning to gastric bypass surgeries as a
solution to there weight problems before seriously attempting less
drastic measures.
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