Gastric bypass is a surgery that reduces the size of the stomach, thus, you feel satisfied with smaller portions of food. When you feel satisfied, you begin to eat less, which allows you to lose weight quickly. This surgery is ideal for the severely obese whose health is at risk and no diet has helped them lose the weight. However, like all major surgeries, there are risks and possible complications. In this post, you will learn about the ideal candidate for gastric bypass, as well as details about the surgery and its advantages and disadvantages.
Laparoscopic gastric bypass is a technique in which the stomach is left with a capacity of 15 to 30 ml, and is connected directly to the small intestine. In this fashion, food skips a large segment of the small intestine, therefore reducing the caloric absorption and of nutrients. Furthermore, due to the small size of the stomach, the amount of food that one is able to eat is reduced. Your stomach is smaller, and this makes you feel satiated sooner. Appetite is also reduced and you begin to lose weight. This is currently one of the most commonly practiced surgeries for severe obesity. It is considered to be one the surgeries with the best results, and one that least effects the quality of life for the person who undergoes the surgery.
Doctor Ruiz Orellana, specialist in General Surgery and the Digestive System at HC Marbella insists that this type of surgery is not for everyone:
“Ideal candidates for gastric bypass are those that fit the following qualifications”:
He also insists that “there are some people who are not candidates”, such as: people who are overweight or moderately obese (this procedure is designed for large quantities of weight loss), people with major psychological conditions (schizophrenia, bulimia, psychopathology), learning disabilities, drug addiction or active alcoholism, inability to receive anesthetic, elevated surgical risk or an unfavorable family or social situation.
Gastric bypass presents numerous advantages:
As with any other surgery, gastric bypass is not without risk of possible complications (which we list here). However, the favorable results speak for themselves.
It is important to know that this surgery is associated to a malabsorptive component, which requires the restoration of some minerals and vitamins, typically iron, vitamin B12, requiring greater nutritional control.
It is possible in some cases, since the surgery is a “mechanic” medium to control what is eaten but does not serve to cure other psychological aspects of the disease. For this reason, in order to avoid failure after the surgery, the cooperation of the patient is needed to adapt their lifestyle to the new conditions presented by the surgery and commit themselves to a diet program that covers their nutritional and vitamin needs.
Once a balanced weight is achieved (not predictable in advance), the body readjusts to the new intake and self-maintains the weight.
Our Nutrition Center at HC Marbella will create a diet program for you in order to cover your nutritional and vitamin needs, and you will have to commit yourself to maintaining healthy eating habits.
Once the size of the stomach has been reduced, the intake of small quantities of food will be enough for the patient to feel satiated. This is due to the minimal dilation of the stomach which inhibits the hunger center in the brain.
One of the main factors that accompanies a successful gastric bypass is the firm commitment to a healthy lifestyle.
If you, or someone close to you, is severely obese, please consult us. At HC Marbella we will carefully study you case in order to help you stop obesity from negatively affecting your life and the life of those around you. You will be in a relaxed, comfortable, and modern environment that will help you feel at ease from the beginning.
Dr. Ruiz Orellana
General and Gastrointestinal Surgery Consultant.
February 8, 2018
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