If you’ve been struggling with your weight for a while, you might have considered bariatric (weight loss) surgery. Gastric bypass surgery is a weight loss procedure which can be used to treat obesity and obesity-related conditions.
35
2 weeks
1 - 2 hours
71 - 72% of excess weight
first 6 weeks
Also known as Roux-en-Y, gastric bypass surgery reduces the size of your stomach to help you lose weight.
The procedure involves creating a small ‘pouch’ at the top of your stomach and connecting this to the small intestine. This means that food will go directly to the small intestine via the small pouch, ‘bypassing’ the rest of your stomach. This surgery restricts the amount of food you can eat and the number of calories that you can absorb through your small intestine.
If you’ve been struggling with your weight and living with obesity, gastric bypass surgery could help you get your health back on track. Some of the benefits of losing weight include:
– Reduced risk of type-2 diabetes
– Can lower high blood pressure
– Reduces pressure on weight-bearing joints
– Can improve heart health
– Increased energy levels
Gastric bypass surgery has its own specific benefits, including:
– Helping you keep the weight off long-term
– Reducing your body’s ability to absorb as many calories
– Can be reversed or converted to a gastric band if necessary
– Can result in a loss of 71-72% of excess weight
All surgical procedures carry some degree of risk and potential side effects. The risks associated with gastric bypass surgery include:
– Bleeding
– Infection
– Gastrointestinal leak
– Bowel obstruction
– Gallstones
– Hernia
– Low blood sugar
– Malnutrition due to poor absorption of nutrients
– Stomach perforation
– Ulcers
– Vomiting
– Dumping syndrome (this happens when food moves to quickly from your stomach to duodenum, causing diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting)
This procedure involves anaesthesia, which involves its own risks and side effects.
For this procedure, you’ll be given general anaesthetic, which means you’ll be asleep while the surgery is performed.
To begin with, your surgeon will make small incisions at the top of your abdomen. A long, thin tube with a camera attached to it (a laparoscope) is inserted through one of these incisions so that your surgeon can see the stomach. They will then make an incision across the top of your stomach to make a small, golf ball-sized ‘pouch’. This new pouch is where food will go once eaten.
Your surgeon will then make an incision in your small intestine and attach the lower part of it to your new pouch. The rest of your stomach and upper small intestine is connected to the lower part in order to allow digestive fluids from the stomach to drain out. Your incisions are then closed to complete the surgery. The procedure can take between 1 to 2 hours.
If you have a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 40 or over, gastric bypass surgery could be a suitable option to help you lose and manage your weight. You might also be suitable if your BMI is over 35 and you have a weight-related illness, such as Type 2 diabetes.
After your procedure, you’ll spend a night in hospital to make sure your recovery is going well. The next day, you should be ready to go home.
Your stomach will likely feel swollen and uncomfortable for the first few days, and you can help to manage this with suitable pain medication.
Your surgeon or nutritional adviser will give you instructions as to what you can and cannot eat following surgery. The post-operative diet is usually liquids-only for the first 2 weeks, before moving on to pureed food in week 3 and soft food in week 4.
For the first few weeks, you might experience some discomfort and tiredness. These symptoms will ease as your body gets used to the change in your digestive system. You should be prepared to take up to 2 weeks off work. After 6 weeks, you should be able to return to your normal routine, including exercise.
I’m in a great place to help you with your weight management journey because I’ve been through weight loss surgery myself.
It was a year after the first lockdown and my weight was getting me down. I was starting to avoid social events, and my confidence was at an all-time low. Having tried many diets unsuccessfully, I started to look into weight loss surgery. Shortly after, I had my gastric bypass surgery. That’s why I’ve joined the team here at Klinikal, as I know exactly how it feels to go through this journey and how I can best support you.
I’m almost 2 years on, and my life has never been better. I’m happy, feeling great and I’ve met the love of my life – all things that didn’t seem possible before my surgery. In total, I’ve lost 7.5 stone, but I’ve gained confidence, peace of mind and find myself just really loving life now.
Learn about Gastric Bypass surgery and its role in weight loss from Klinikal Surgeon Assistant Eunicia in this video. She’ll discuss how this targeted procedure not only aids in weight loss but also contributes to long-term health, offering a practical and cost-effective solution for overall wellbeing.
Our highly experienced team have helped 1000’s of patients achieve their weight loss goals.
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Deciding to have weight loss surgery can be really empowering. But to help you make an informed decision, you need to understand the surgical process and what your journey will involve. At Klinikal, we know that this is important.
We’ve summarised each stage of the journey to give you an idea, but of course your experience will be tailored to your own needs.
Nice to meet you!
Your journey with us begins with a call from a weight management surgeon assistant. One of our highly experienced, friendly surgeon assistants will talk you through our weight loss procedures, pricing and finance options, and answer any questions that you might have.
Meet your surgeon
After speaking to your surgeon assistant, they’ll match you with the right bariatric surgeon for your procedure. You’ll meet them via video call, where they’ll take you through your surgery in more detail. If required, you’ll meet your surgeon in person.
Meet your dietitian
Your dietitian will be an important part of your weight loss journey. Before your surgery day, you’ll meet them to go through the dietary changes that you’ll need to make pre and post-surgery. They’ll give you plenty of advice and will be able to answer any dietary questions that you might have.
Pre-op nurse appointment
It’s important that you’re fit to go ahead with your surgery. That’s why we’ll schedule in an appointment with one of our lovely nurses, who’ll make sure that you’re well enough to proceed.
Surgery day
It’s the day you’ve been waiting for! We’ll welcome you into one of our Klinikal locations where you’ll settle into your private room. You’ll then head down to theatre to have your procedure. Afterwards, you’ll be taken back to your luxurious suite to recuperate.
Post-op and beyond
Once you return home to recover, you’ll have our full support. You’ll have post-op appointments with a nurse and you’ll see your surgeon again to make sure that you’re recovering nicely. Your surgeon assistant and dietitian will also be in touch regularly, and you can call our helpline if you have any issues.
Nice to meet you!
Your journey with us begins with a call from a weight management surgeon assistant. One of our highly experienced, friendly surgeon assistants will talk you through our weight loss procedures, pricing and finance options, and answer any questions that you might have.
Meet your surgeon
After speaking to your surgeon assistant, they’ll match you with the right bariatric surgeon for your procedure. You’ll meet them via video call, where they’ll take you through your surgery in more detail. If required, you’ll meet your surgeon in person.
Meet your dietitian
Your dietitian will be an important part of your weight loss journey. Before your surgery day, you’ll meet them to go through the dietary changes that you’ll need to make pre and post-surgery. They’ll give you plenty of advice and will be able to answer any dietary questions that you might have.
Pre-op nurse appointment
It’s important that you’re fit to go ahead with your surgery. That’s why we’ll schedule in an appointment with one of our lovely nurses, who’ll make sure that you’re well enough to proceed.
Surgery day
It’s the day you’ve been waiting for! We’ll welcome you into one of our Klinikal locations where you’ll settle into your private room. You’ll then head down to theatre to have your procedure. Afterwards, you’ll be taken back to your luxurious suite to recuperate.
Post-op and beyond
Once you return home to recover, you’ll have our full support. You’ll have post-op appointments with a nurse and you’ll see your surgeon again to make sure that you’re recovering nicely. Your surgeon assistant and dietitian will also be in touch regularly, and you can call our helpline if you have any issues.
Although gastric bypass surgery can be reversed, the reversal procedure comes with its own risks and so many surgeons will only perform a reversal if it’s deemed absolutely necessary.
In a 2020 report by the UK National Bariatric Surgery Registry, gastric bypass patients had lost 71-72% of their excess body weight within one year of having surgery.
However, everyone is different. The rate and extent of your weight loss will depend on various factors, including your starting weight and your lifestyle.
Gastric bypass surgery works by altering your stomach. A small pouch is created at the top of your stomach, which is where food will go when eaten. This food then ‘bypasses’ the rest of the stomach, going straight to the small intestine. This helps you lose weight, as it means you are unable to eat large portions of food and you will absorb less calories from the food that you eat.
For the first few weeks after your gastric bypass, you’ll need to follow a diet consisting of liquids, soft and pureed foods. Once this post-surgery diet is complete, you can begin to reintroduce textured foods and enjoy these in moderation. Your dietitian will be able to work with you to make sure you’re eating the right amount of food and getting enough nutrients.
The portion of the stomach that isn’t connected to the small intestine remains intact, secreting digestive enzymes but not digesting any food.
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