Gastric Bypass
The Gastric Bypass is a form of weight loss surgery suited to those that are clinically obese with significant amounts of weight to lose. It is a more extensive surgical procedure than the Gastric Band procedure.
For the seriously obese, the benefits of the procedure are truly life-changing:
- 75% of patients lose 75-80% of excess body weight, most in the first 2 years
- Most type II diabetics will be cured
- Major improvements in risk factors for heart disease and cancer
- 70-80% of patients with hypertension will be off medication
- Cholesterol levels will fall
- Major improvements in other weight-associated conditions, including sleep apnoea, asthma, joint pain, arthritis, reflux, fatigue, shortness of breath
- Patients report less depression, improved self-esteem and confidence
Patient Stories
Breege Doolan very simply credits the gastric bypass with saving her life. Her doctor had given her just 3 months to live.
Her before and after photos are below - you can see the results were dramatic. She weighed over 20 stone prior to the operation and now weighs in at around 10.
In a candid interview, Breege looks fantastic and shares her incredible gastric bypass story in a short film.
There are many more patient stories in our Weight Loss Patient Stories, Photos & Video section.
If you come for a consultation, we can tell you about other success stories from patients just like you.
The Gastric Bypass Procedure
This option is generally recommended for those with a higher BMI i.e. Body Mass Index of 40+.
The gastric bypass procedure involves the creation of a small stomach pouch to restrict food intake.
- Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RGB) - a small stomach pouch is created by stapling part of the stomach together or vertical banding. This limits how much food you can eat. Next, a Y-shaped section of the small intestine is attached to the pouch to allow food to bypass the duodenum as well as the first portion of the jejunum.
- Biliopancreatic diversion Gastric Bypass (BPD) - in this more complicated version, portions of the stomach are removed and the small pouch that remains is connected directly to the final segment of the small intestine. This means that most of the small intestine (duodenum and jejunum) is bypassed, resulting in substantial reductions in calorie and nutrient absorption.
The surgery may be carried out as an "open" procedure, which would take up to 2 hours or as a "keyhole" procedure which could take twice as long, but would leave less scarring.
Gastric bypass procedures are carried out in a fully equipped bariatric surgery facility under general anaesthetic and you would normally expect to spend 2-3 nights in hospital before returning home.
For this reason, you should ensure the hospital of your choice has available a structured, long-term behavioural and lifestyle programme, with nutritional support, which you should join immediately after surgery.
The Hospital Group provide nutritional support with specialist dietitians. Our gastric bypass diet will help you to get the best results from your procedure.
Deciding on Surgery
Gastric bypass surgery is a big decision. You need to know you're in safe hands and be very confident in your choice.
The first step of the process is to have a consultation with one of our experts. They will look at your medical history, listen very carefully to your requirements and give you honest, expert advice on which form of weight loss surgery is most suitable for you.
As well as the gastric bypass, depending on your health and how much weight you have to lose, we also offer the following alternatives:
- Gastric balloon - a non-surgical procedure for lower BMI patients
- Gastric band - a reversible and adjustable weight loss surgery option
- Gastric sleeve - an irreversible procedure for higher BMI patients, can be later converted to the gastric bypass
Your consultation will also include what to expect at the hospital, the procedure in detail and the recovery/healing process as well as aftercare and the all important gastric bypass dietary information.
We recommend a week at home to recover properly from surgery and you should avoid heavy lifting for the first couple of weeks.
We take every aspect of your care very seriously and will provide you with a Patient Information Booklet providing further information on surgery as well as dietary information pre and post-operatively.
An important thing to remember is that surgery is not in itself a cure for obesity. You will need to work on reducing portion sizes, making sensible food choices and increasing your activity levels. However, having a weight loss procedure like the gastric bypass will be a massive help in that your appetite and capacity for food will be significantly reduced, so while you will have to follow a gastric bypass diet, it will be much easier and more effective than dieting alone.
The Hospital Group includes extensive aftercare support with specialist dietitians to help you in your weight loss journey.
