Gastric Bypass Alternatives

GASTRIC BYPASS ALTERNATIVES

AN OVERVIEW

Gastric Bypass is best defined as a surgery, which creates an extremely small stomach and removes the rest of the stomach wherein the small intestine is attached to this small stomach and the rest of the stomach is a bypass. The gastric bypass alternatives work on the concept of creating an artificial small stomach, which has a lower capacity as compared to the traditional stomach and a feeling of fullness, is created early thus ensuring that the quantity of food intake is restricted.


GASTRIC BYPASS ALTERNATIVES - THE FOCUS

The focus of Gastric bypass alternatives is primarily that of management of Obesity. Obesity best being defined, as an excess of body weight beyond the skeletal and muscular needs of the human body. The concept and mechanics of gastric bypass alternatives is logistically driven - considering that it is based on the concept of restricting the intake of food in those affected by Obesity - which consequently ensures that the weigh gain is also reduced. The gastric bypass alternatives then evidently decrease the feeling hunger -hence decreasing the intake of food as it creates an early sense of fullness or satiety due to the small size of the stomach.


THE MALABSORBTIVE PHENOMENON - GASTRIC BYPASS ALTERNATIVES

The gastric bypass alternatives, which ensure restriction of intake of calories, are based on the concept of creating a mal absorption phenomenon:

* Biliopancreatic Diversion
* Gastric bypass with long gastrojejunostomy
* Roux - en - Y (RNY) Gastric bypass
* Laparoscopic RNY bypass
* Distal Roux - en - Y bypass
* Vertical (Fobi) bypass

All Gastric bypass alternatives work on the concept of restricting the caloric intake by creating a smaller stomach - the surgical approach could well vary with the alternative adopted.

The gastric bypass alternative adopted would well depend on:

* The health status of the patient
* The experience and preference of the operating surgeon

The preferred option is evidently the RNY gastric bypass and as endorsed by the National Institute of Health (NIH).


GASTRIC BYPASS ALTERNATIVE - THE APPROACH

The gastric bypass alternative of choice is undeniably the RNY gastric bypass procedure wherein the operating surgeon creates a small stomach from the original stomach and is totally separated from the rest of the original stomach. This decreases the traditional 1.5 Liters stomach to a sixty Ml stomach. The food passes from the food pipe (esophagus) to the newly created stomach and thence directly to the jejunum. The original stomach is not removed - rather the two portions of the stomach are separated by stapling or sewing - ensuring that there are no leaks.

This procedure could then take as little as two hours to complete and could well ensure a sustainable solution to Obesity for most if not all!