GASTRIC BYPASS: IS IT FOR YOU?

Not everyone is a good candidate for bariatric surgery. The final decision is made by your surgeon. There are, however, general guidelines that most surgeons and insurance companies use when choosing who is an appropriate patient.

Patients can be too obese as well as not obese enough to qualify for weight loss surgery. Those who are too heavy are told to lose weight before the surgeon can proceed with the operation. Patients that are too thin are advised that the risks of the surgery outweigh the benefits in their case.

Most weight loss surgical centers in the United States prefer to weight to operate until the patient is 18 and better able to make a life-altering decision.

General guidelines for weight loss surgery candidates:
* Body Mass Index of 40 or greater.
* Comorbidity: You have a life-shortening disease process, heart disease, diabetes or obstructive sleep apnea, that can be improved by losing weight.
* For at least two years, you have attempted to lose weight.
* You have been obese for an extended period of time, at least three to five years.
* You are able to effectively care for yourself and follow a physician’s instructions.
* You are motivated to lose weight and maintain a healthful lifestyle.
* You do not abuse drugs or alcohol.
* You are a nonsmoker or have quit smoking.
* You are an adult under the age of 65

Understanding the Risks of Weight Loss Surgery

It is crucial that you understand the risks of the procedure before you elect to have gastric bypass surgery. Some risks are minor and are resolved with weight loss. Others can be more serious and/or long-term.

There are, first of all, the general risks involved with any surgical procedure and general anesthesia. Here are some additional concerns you should be aware of:


*Anemia
*Osteoporosis and Bone Degeneration
*Calcium deficiency is another risk of malabsorptive procedures.
* Malnutrition
*Excess Skin
*Dumping Syndrome
When patients who have had a gastric bypass procedure, specifically Roux-en-Y, eat too much or consume a meal high in sugar, the stomach contents rapidly “dump” into the small intestine. This causes cold sweats, diarrhea and feelings of faintness. The symptoms are distressing, though not life-threatening, and they typically improve within a few hours. Eliminating or decreasing sugar intake and eating smaller meals can prevent dumping syndrome.
* Erosion
When a surgery introduces a foreign object into the body, one runs the risk that that object may wear away healthy tissue, causing damage. This can occur, for example, when someone eats an excessively large meal after weight loss surgery, or when a gastric band is fitted too tightly.
* Spleen Injury
* Suture Line Disruption
*Long-term Nausea and Inability to Tolerate Food
*Migration
With band surgeries, the band can shift out of position, decreasing or eliminating the effectiveness of the band.
*Narrowing of Stomach Outlet (Stenosis)
*Leaking
After weight loss surgery, it is possible for the suture or staple lines created during the surgery to leak. The most common type of leak can cause stomach contents (including digestive acid) to seep into the abdominal cavity.
*Ulcers
*Gallstones
*Constipation


Overall,gastric bypass is the most commonly performed weight loss surgery, with 140,000 procedures performed in the United States annually. While it is a complex surgery with significant risks, patients have historically had better results with total weight loss, long-term weight maintenance and improved overall health than those who have opted for any other type of weight loss surgery.

Less radical alternatives that will quickly alter the silhouette include liposuction and abdominoplasty or tummy tucks, as they are generally referred to.