Types of Gastric Bypass Surgeries for Weight Loss

Gastric Bypass surgery can be either an open procedure (with a large incision in the abdomen) or laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery (also called limited access surgery because of the limitation on handling and feeling tissues, and the limited two-dimensional video screen).

Laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery is an advanced surgical technique performed by using several small incisions, or also called ports. One of the ports guides a surgical telescope connected to a video camera, and others permit access of the specialized operating instruments. The surgeon actually views the operation on a video screen.

As you already know from my previous post, the gastric bypass surgery includes dividing of the stomach into two pouches – a small upper pouch and a larger lower pouch, as well as re-arrangement and re-connection of the small intestines.

According to the method used to re-connect intestines, there are several variations of the laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery:

Roux en-Y gastric bypass

This is the most common laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery performed in the U.S. The good news about it is that you won’t have any nutritional difficulties afterwards, except for the sweets.

First, the upper small pouch of stomach is made by stapling part of the stomach together.

Second, the small intestine is divided about 45 cm (18 in) below the lower stomach outlet, and is re-arranged into a Y-configuration, to enable food to bypass the duodenum and the first part of the jejunum, via a Roux limb (that’s why it is called Roux en-Y).

The Roux limb is 80 to 150 cm long (30 to 60 inches), and preserves most of the small intestine to absorb the nutrients from food. The patient will automatically feel very rapid onset of a sense of stomach-fullness and growing satiety almost immediately after the start of a meal.

Biliopancreatic diversion

Biliopancreatic diversion is an extensive and more complicated gastric bypass surgery. Still there is a small upper pouch directly connected to the lower part of the small intestine, but the lower part of your stomach is completely removed.

Mini-Gastric Bypass

The Mini Gastric Bypass is a Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery, which is minimally invasive. It partitions your stomach into two parts – a small, long and narrow part and a separate larger one. The smaller stomach is attached in the small intestine about 6 feet down its length. The larger stomach is sealed and left unattached.

This way the amount of food you eat and the absorption of calories and fat in your body are decreased, because of the bypass of the first part of the small intestine.