Introduction
A Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) is used to help treat obesity and obesity-related health problems. It is also sometimes an appropriate treatment option for severe reflux (GORD) symptoms in the context of obesity.
The effect of a RYGB operation is that your body absorbs less of the available energy from your food, and it will also cause you to feel full after consuming smaller portions. Gastric bypass can be considered when diet and exercise are not working or when you have health problems due to your weight.
RYGB surgery is a tool for weight loss. Long-term success is dependent on a person committing significant lifestyle changes. With healthy changes, a person can expect sustained, long-term weight loss of approximately 30 to 35 percent of their total body weight.
Indications
You may be a suitable candidate for weight loss surgery if your body mass index (BMI) is over 30 and you have weight-related health problems, or if your BMI is over 35 without any obesity-related conditions.
At your initial appointment, Dr Moar will meet with you to better understand your health and future goals and discuss treatment options.
Preoperative Instructions
You may need to follow a calorie-restricted diet in the weeks leading up to the surgery. Losing weight in the two weeks immediately before surgery usually reduces the size of your liver and makes the surgery safer.
Procedure
RYGB is a keyhole procedure that involves creating a thin stomach pouch by stapling off (bypassing) a larger stomach section. A loop of small bowel is then attached to the gastric pouch.
Another join is then made between two sections of the small bowel. As such, part of the stomach and part of the small intestine is also bypassed in the digestion of food.
People who wish to undergo a gastric bypass procedure must be committed to a long-term investment in their health. This includes taking multivitamin supplements (to compensate for nutrients that will be lost in a bypass procedure) and having regular blood tests to look for nutritional deficiencies.