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Obesity. #Gastric bypass

Are you severely obese and you’ve tried other methods to lose weight, but nothing has worked?

Gastric bypass is a surgery that reduces the size of the stomach, thus, you feel satisfied with smaller portions of food. When you feel satisfied, you begin to eat less, which allows you to lose weight quickly. This surgery is ideal for the severely obese whose health is at risk and no diet has helped them lose the weight. However, like all major surgeries, there are risks and possible complications. In this post, you will learn about the ideal candidate for gastric bypass, as well as details about the surgery and its advantages and disadvantages.

What is the surgical technique of gastric bypass?

Laparoscopic gastric bypass is a technique in which the stomach is left with a capacity of 15 to 30 ml, and is connected directly to the small intestine. In this fashion, food skips a large segment of the small intestine, therefore reducing the caloric absorption and of nutrients. Furthermore, due to the small size of the stomach, the amount of food that one is able to eat is reduced. Your stomach is smaller, and this makes you feel satiated sooner. Appetite is also reduced and you begin to lose weight. This is currently one of the most commonly practiced surgeries for severe obesity. It is considered to be one the surgeries with the best results, and one that least effects the quality of life for the person who undergoes the surgery.

Who is the ideal candidate, and who is not?

Doctor Ruiz Orellana, specialist in General Surgery and the Digestive System at HC Marbella insists that this type of surgery is not for everyone:

“Ideal candidates for gastric bypass are those that fit the following qualifications”:

• Be between 18 and 65 years of age, although patients outside of this range may be considered (protocol from SECO- the Spanish Society for Obesity Surgery)
• Have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater or have a BMI of 35-40 with serious related health problems, such as diabetes, cardiac issues, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or sleep apnea.
• Men who have more than 45 kilos (100 pounds) of excess weight and are well above their ideal weight; women who have more than 36 kilos (80 pounds) of excess weight above what should be their ideal weight.
• Those who are obese and have already tried other weight loss methods.
• Be willing to live a healthy lifestyle that includes a regular exercise regimen for the rest of their life.
• Cannot have alcohol or drug abuse issues
• Cannot have an untreated psychiatric condition according to a psychologist or psychiatrist
• Understand and complete the instructions and guidelines of the program
• Understand and accept the risks of the weight loss surgery
• Have a support network of friends and family that will help achieve the goal of a health weight
• Accept complying to long-term follow-ups

He also insists that “there are some people who are not candidates”, such as: people who are overweight or moderately obese (this procedure is designed for large quantities of weight loss), people with major psychological conditions (schizophrenia, bulimia, psychopathology), learning disabilities, drug addiction or active alcoholism, inability to receive anesthetic, elevated surgical risk or an unfavorable family or social situation.

Advantages of gastric bypass:

Gastric bypass presents numerous advantages:

• Rapid weight loss. Typically, the average weight lost is within the range of 60-70% of the excess weight. It is considered to be a success if at least half of the excess weight is lost. The results of the majority of the surgeries meet this minimum. In some cases, patients regain a part of the weight lost. No surgery is successful for 100% of patients.
• It stops calories from food from being absorbed as they would be naturally, which allows for weight loss.
• Improves the treatment of certain pathologies (up to 80%) such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, asthma, gastritis and sleep apnea.
• Improves backaches, arthritis, and depression in 70% patients.
• Deficit in the absorption of sugars and fats that help with weight loss – produced by the mixed surgical procedure that is the bypass itself.
• At HC Marbella gastric bypass is performed by laparoscopy, which has clear advantages with respect to conventional surgery, such as the time spent in the hospital, which is reduced to three days with this operation.

What are the disadvantages?

As with any other surgery, gastric bypass is not without risk of possible complications (which we list here). However, the favorable results speak for themselves.

It is important to know that this surgery is associated to a malabsorptive component, which requires the restoration of some minerals and vitamins, typically iron, vitamin B12, requiring greater nutritional control.

Will I regain the weight later?

It is possible in some cases, since the surgery is a “mechanic” medium to control what is eaten but does not serve to cure other psychological aspects of the disease. For this reason, in order to avoid failure after the surgery, the cooperation of the patient is needed to adapt their lifestyle to the new conditions presented by the surgery and commit themselves to a diet program that covers their nutritional and vitamin needs.

Once a balanced weight is achieved (not predictable in advance), the body readjusts to the new intake and self-maintains the weight.

Will I have to follow a diet?

Our Nutrition Center at HC Marbella will create a diet program for you in order to cover your nutritional and vitamin needs, and you will have to commit yourself to maintaining healthy eating habits.

Once the size of the stomach has been reduced, the intake of small quantities of food will be enough for the patient to feel satiated. This is due to the minimal dilation of the stomach which inhibits the hunger center in the brain.

Remember:

One of the main factors that accompanies a successful gastric bypass is the firm commitment to a healthy lifestyle.

If you, or someone close to you, is severely obese, please consult us. At HC Marbella we will carefully study you case in order to help you stop obesity from negatively affecting your life and the life of those around you. You will be in a relaxed, comfortable, and modern environment that will help you feel at ease from the beginning.

Dr. Ruiz Orellana
General and Gastrointestinal Surgery Consultant.

February 8, 2018