Friday, December 5, 2014

By Christa Jarvis


Gastric bypass surgery is a form of surgical procedure which involves dividing the stomach into two portions and then reconnecting the two portions to the small intestine. The dividing of the stomach is done in a way that there is a smaller upper section and a bigger lower section. Currently there are many procedures that can be used to reconnect the small intestine to the two stomach pouches. Gastric bypass surgery in Mexico comes in several variations suitable for different applications.

This procedure is meant to treat morbid obesity in people. People who cannot get their weight under control through exercise or dietary efforts normally settle for it. It is the last recommendable option in cases where obesity is affecting quality of life or even threatening it. Obesity can be life threatening when one weighs 45 kilograms over the ideal body weight. Ideal body weight is measured by life insurance industry as that weight in which one can leave longest.

Morbid obesity is corrected by gastric bypass surgery through two major effects. The first effect is through the reduction of the total volume of stomach that is functional. Reduced functional stomach volume reduces the amount of food that can be held and digested by the stomach. With reduced digestion, absorption is also reduced hence the overall body weight.

The second effect caused by this procedure is altering the response food receives from the body and the stomach. There is a difference in how patients feel when they eat food after undergoing the surgery. The stomach feels full after taking a small amount of food. This feeling can last for weeks, but it changes slowly as the pouches enlarge to accommodate more food. It is rare for a person to become obese again after undergoing the procedure.

There are three main variants of the process, that is, proximal, distal, and mini gastric bypass. The commonest of all is the proximal variant. It is widely performed in the United States than any other variant currently in use. In the year 2008, over 200, 000 people underwent this procedure to correct morbid obesity. The small intestine is rearranged into a Y-configuration to allow food from small stomach pouch to flow through a Roux limb.

In the distal variant, the Y-connection is moved down the gastrointestinal tract reducing the total surface area available for absorption of food. The smaller absorption surface area is traded for increased efficiency in the absorption process. The absorption of fats, starches, certain minerals, and vitamins that are soluble in fats is highly impeded. This impeded absorption of minerals leads to a constant loss in weight over time.

This procedure does not come free of complications. Sometimes people spend several months in the hospital receiving treatment after undergoing the process. Others just die immediately or after a few weeks. Patients who die normally have pre-existing medical conditions such as diebetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea, and heart disease, which heighten mortality rate.

Complications may occur immediately during operation or later on. Mortally tends to increase over time with most cases being observed during the first thirty days. When seeking to undergo this procedure, it is advisable to go for a surgeon with a lot of experience in this field.




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