How does the Gastric Bypass work?

The Mini Gastric Bypass works two ways to help you lose weight. First, it reduces the size of your stomach, restricting the amount you can eat. Next, it reduces the absorption of what food you do eat, by bypassing a portion of your intestines. This dual-stage approach has been shown to be highly effective when combined with changes to eating and lifestyle habits. You feel fuller, faster. And absorption of food is reduced. Most importantly, the rerouting of the food stream produces changes in gut hormones that promote satiety, suppress hunger, and reverse one of the primary mechanisms by which obesity induces type 2 diabetes.

The Procedure

There are two components to the procedure. First, a small stomach pouch, approximately one ounce or 30 milliliters in volume, is created by dividing the top of the stomach from the rest of the stomach. Next, the first portion of the small intestine is divided, and the bottom end of the divided small intestine is brought up and connected to the newly created small stomach pouch. The procedure is completed by connecting the top portion of the divided small intestine to the small intestine further down so that the stomach acids and digestive enzymes from the bypassed stomach and first portion of small intestine will eventually mix with the food.

Disadvantages to Consider

The Gastric Bypass is an excellent procedure and the correct choice for many patients, however you should consider the following risks.

The bypass procedure is technically a more complex operation than the AGB or LSG and potentially could result in greater complication rates. It can also lead to long-term vitamin/mineral deficiencies particularly deficits in vitamin B12, iron, calcium, and folate. In most cases it requires adherence to dietary recommendations, life-long vitamin/mineral supplementation, and follow-up compliance.