Basics Of Gastric Bypass Surgery In Mexico

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.

Gastric bypass surgery produces two effects that help to control morbid obesity in people. The first effect is that it reduces the total volume of functional stomach. A reduction in functional stomach volume implies that the amount of food the stomach can hold and digest is reduced. Reduced digestion translates into reduced nutrient absorption hence a reduction in 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.

Mini, distal, and proximal gastric bypass are the three major variants of this surgery. Of all the three, proximal is more commonly practiced than the others. It has wide application in the US than any other surgical procedure meant for correcting morbid obesity. In 2008, morbid obesity was corrected in over 200, 000 patients using this procedure. Food is allowed to flow via the Roux limb from the small intestine after the small intestine is rearranged into a Y-configuration.

In the distal variant, absorption of food is reduced by moving the Y-connection down the gastrointestinal tract. Although surface available for absorbing food is highly reduced, the absorption process is made very efficient. There is high obstruction in the absorption of fats, certain minerals, starches, and vitamins that can dissolve in fats. As a result, weight is lost constantly until a desirable level is achieved.

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.

Some patients experience complications immediately while others do so after some time. It is within the first 30 days that mortally rate is highest. To avoid some of these complications, only the most experience surgeons should be consulted to do the procedure. Experienced surgeons can solve complications that arise after operation.




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