The percentage of the population that are morbidly obese – that’s with a body mass index over 40 – is rising. And increasingly, these people (who might be 100 pounds or more overweight) are turning to gastric bypass surgery.
Gastric bypass is a procedure where the surgeon first divides the stomach into a small upper pouch and a much larger, lower “remnant” pouch and then re-arranges the small intestine to allow both pouches to stay connected to it.
As the stomach is smaller, the patient feels “full” more quickly – and therefore doesn’t need to consume as much food. That means they don’t take in as many calories – the body is therefore going to have to use up its stored fat reserves, which will result in weight loss.
All surgery carries risk: gastric bypass is no exception and it’s not something to be undertaken likely. Complications are relatively common, and can include bleeding and infection. In addition, there may be a need for further surgery.
On the other hand, there are obviously serious health risks from continuing obesity and for some patients, gastric by pass surgery can be the perfect solution to weight loss. It’s not a wonder cure in itself – patients will need to exercise, eat healthily and follow their dietician’s advice to make sure they get the maximum benefit from the procedure – but the weight loss after the surgery can be significant. Patients can lose as much as 10 pounds per month, and this may continue for 18 to 24 months. And they’ll start to feel the benefits of weight loss – more energy, better self-image – in the first few months after the surgery.
For more information please visit http://www.thehospitalgroup.org/gastric-bypass.php
