Laparascopic Gastric Bypass

Gastric bypass procedures (GBP) are any of a group of similar operations used to treat morbid obesity, which is the severe accumulation of excess weight as fatty tissue, and the health problems this causes.

Some facts about GBP:

• Gastric bypass surgery is performed with keyhole surgery
• The surgery has a higher complication rate than gastric banding surgery
• Weight loss is much faster than gastric banding surgery
• The hospital stay is on average seven to ten days
• A return to work is usually within four weeks
• Long-term follow up is essential for nutritional monitoring
• No adjustments are required after the operation

A gastric bypass first divides the stomach into a small upper pouch and a much larger, lower “remnant” pouch and then re-arranges the small intestine to allow both pouches to stay connected to it. Surgeons have developed several different ways to reconnect the intestine, thus leading to several other GBP names.

Gastric bypass procedures lead to a marked reduction in the functional volume of the stomach, accompanied by an altered physiological and psychological response to food. The resulting weight loss is typically dramatic and is associated with a marked reduction in comorbidities.