What is gastric bypass?
Know the criteria that you must meet in order to undergo this weight reduction surgery.
Gastric bypass surgery is the most common type of weight loss surgery. as well as gastric bypass and other types of weight loss surgery, basically known as “bariatric surgery“, perform surgical changes directly in the stomach and digestive system that minimize the portion of food you eat and also the amount of nutrients your body is left with, causing weight loss.
Although it may sound attractive, gastric bypass surgery is not for everyone. Like any major procedure, it has significant health risks and side effects. In addition, the long-term success rate of gastric bypass surgery will depend greatly on your ability as an individual to make permanent lifestyle changes. People who want to be considered for gastric bypass surgery should undergo a rigorous evaluation to determine if this procedure is appropriate for the patient.
Guidelines for undergoing gastric bypass surgery
Gastric bypass and other weight loss surgeries are very important procedures that change your life. While weight-loss surgery can help you reduce your risk of weight-related health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and heart disease, it can also have serious risks and complications. To undergo weight loss surgery, you may need to adhere to certain medical guidelines. You may have to go through an extensive disease screening process to determine your eligibility.
In general, gastric bypass or other weight loss surgery may be an option for you in the following cases:
- If your efforts to lose weight with diet and exercise were unsuccessful
- If your body mass index (BMI) is 40 or more
- If your BMI is 35 or more and you have a serious weight-related health problem, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood high blood pressure or severe sleep apnea
- If you are a teenager who has gone through puberty, your BMI is 35 or more and you have serious obesity-related health problems, such as type 2 diabetes or severe sleep apnea
- In certain In some cases, you may be eligible for certain types of weight loss surgery if your BMI is between 30 and 34 and you have serious weight-related health problems.
Assess if you are ready for gastric bypass surgery
Even if you meet the general guidelines, you may need to meet certain medical guidelines to be eligible for weight loss surgery. You may have to go through an extensive disease screening process to determine your eligibility.
A team of healthcare professionals, usually made up of a doctor, a dietitian, a psychologist, and a surgeon, evaluates whether gastric bypass or one of the other forms of weight-loss surgery is right for you. Generally, this evaluation determines if the health benefits of the surgery outweigh the potentially serious risks involved and if you are medically fit to undergo the procedure.
The evaluation also determines if you are psychologically ready to undergo weight loss surgery. The procedure can increase certain risks in people with mental health conditions that are not well controlled.
For example, recent studies found that people who had weight-loss surgery had a higher risk of suicide. This risk is higher for people who have had suicide attempts in the past. More research is required to find out if changes related to the surgery itself contribute to an increased risk of suicide.
A history of suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts does not necessarily mean that bariatric surgery is not right for you; however, your health care team should carefully evaluate your history and plan for close follow-up and support before and after surgery.
When evaluating gastric bypass surgery, the healthcare team considers the following:
Your nutrition and weight history. The team reviews your weight trends, your attempts to follow a diet, your eating habits, your exercise routine, your stress level, your time restrictions, your motivation and other factors.
Your illness. Some health problems increase the risks associated with having surgery or can be made worse by surgery, such as blood clots, liver disease, heart problems, kidney stones, and nutritional deficiencies. The team evaluates what medications you take, how much alcohol you drink, and whether you smoke. You will be tested for sleep apnea, along with a complete physical exam and lab work. The results of these tests and exams could help determine whether or not you are suitable for weight-loss surgery.
Your psychological state. Some mental health conditions may contribute to obesity or make it more difficult for you to maintain the benefits of gastric bypass surgery. These can include binge eating disorder, substance abuse, anxiety disorders, major depression, schizophrenia, severe bipolar disorder, and problems related to childhood sexual abuse.
While these conditions may not prevent you from having gastric bypass surgery, doctors may delay surgery to ensure that any major conditions or sources of stress are properly treated and controlled.
Your motivation. The team will also assess your willingness and ability to follow the recommendations made by your healthcare team, as well as to implement prescribed changes to your diet and exercise routine.
Your age. There is no specific age limit for undergoing gastric bypass surgery, but, until recently, the procedure was considered risky for teens and older adults. More recent studies have found that gastric bypass surgery can be safe and effective for adults 60 years of age and older. Currently, this procedure is also considered an option for some teens with a body mass index of 35 or higher and serious health problems associated with obesity.
Pre-surgical requirements
If you are approved for gastric bypass surgery, your healthcare team will give you instructions on how to prepare in the months or weeks leading up to your surgery. These instructions may include food and drink restrictions, lifestyle therapy to help you cope with big changes in diet and exercise, quitting smoking, and starting a supervised exercise or physical activity program. In some cases, you may be asked to lose weight before having gastric bypass surgery.
Even after gastric bypass surgery is scheduled, it may be delayed or canceled if the healthcare team determines that:
You are not psychologically or medically ready for surgery
You haven’t made the right changes to your eating or exercise habits
You gained weight during the evaluation process
How to Prepare for the Financial Aspects of Gastric Bypass Surgery
If gastric bypass surgery is determined to be right for you, you will need to take care of the financial aspects. If you plan to have your health insurance coverage for gastric bypass surgery, you will need to get pre-approval from whoever provides your health insurance, be it your health insurance company, Medicare, or the state medical assistance program. The pre-approval process generally requires documents from your medical team justifying the medical necessity of gastric bypass surgery.
Different health insurers have different requirements to demonstrate the medical necessity of gastric bypass surgery. Your health insurer may not cover gastric bypass surgery at all, or may only cover parts of the process. To avoid unpleasant financial surprises, it is advisable to verify what specific services are covered before beginning the evaluation process. You may have to pay part of the costs yourself.
There are a large number of alternatives to obtain affordable weight loss surgery but the important thing is to be able to choose the specialist who has the experience and certification to be able to perform this type of bariatric surgeries at an affordable cost and of quality.
Gastric Bypass Surgery
Is It Right For You?
Gastric bypass surgery is not a miracle procedure, and it is not for everyone. Gastric bypass surgery or other weight loss surgeries do not guarantee that you will lose all excess weight or maintain your new weight in the long term. They are also not a way to avoid changes you must make to your diet and exercise habits. In fact, you can regain the weight lost with gastric bypass surgery if you don’t keep up with your lifestyle changes. But if you think gastric bypass surgery might be right for you, talk to your doctor.
Gastric bypass surgery
Gastric bypass is a surgery that will help you lose weight thanks to this surgery by changing the way the stomach as well as the small intestine administers the food you eat.
After surgery, your stomach will shrink. You will feel full eating less.
The food you eat will no longer enter certain parts of your stomach or small intestine that absorb food. Because of this, your body will stop getting all the calories from the food that your body eats.
You will always have general anesthesia before performing the surgery. You will be asleep and avoid pain.
There are 2 steps in the gastric bypass surgery process:
The first step will make your stomach smaller. Your surgeon uses staples in order to divide your stomach into a small upper area and a larger lower area. The upper part of your stomach (called the pouch) is where the food you eat will be deposited. The bag is very small about the size of a walnut. You have only about 1 ounce (oz) or 28 grams (g) of food. Due to this step, you will eat less and this will help you lose weight.
The second step is the bypass. The surgeon connects only a small area of your small intestine (the jejunum) to a small hole in your pouch. The food you eat will now flow from the pouch into this new opening and directly into the small intestine. As a result of this step, your body will absorb fewer calories.
The gastric bypass has 2 ways to perform. With open surgery, your surgeon will make a large surgical incision to open your abdomen. The bypass will also work on your stomach, small intestine, and other organs.
Another way to do this surgery is by using a very small camera, known as a laparoscope. This camera is placed on your belly. The surgery is known as laparoscopy. The endoscope makes it easier for the surgeon to see inside your abdomen.
In this surgery:
The specialist will usually make 4 to 6 very small cuts in your abdomen to gain access.
The endoscope and the elements necessary to perform the surgery are placed through these cuts that are made.
There is a monitor that connects to the video camera in the operating room. This will project the surgeon into your abdomen while the operation is being performed.
The most important advantages of laparoscopy compared to the practice of open surgery are:
- Less hospital stay and faster recovery
- You will feel less pain
- The scars will be smaller and this creates a lower risk of having a hernia or infection in the future.
- This surgery takes about 2 to 4 hours.
