Center for Bariatric Surgery

Surgical Options

Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass Surgery

The surgical procedure that each patient will undergo is carefully determined through a one-on-one consultation with the surgeon. This determination is based on specific health and safety criteria, including body mass index (BMI), associated medical conditions, prior history of abdominal surgery and other variables that determine the best outcome for each individual patient.

The laparoscopic - or minimally invasive - surgical technique of the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure is performed with a small video camera that is inserted inside the abdomen through five, ½-inch incisions. Long surgical instruments are used to perform the surgery, while the surgeon views the procedure, under magnification, onscreen via the video camera.

The laparoscopic method features:

• Procedure performed by a fellowship-trained laparoscopic bariatric surgeon assisted by a team of anesthesiologists and nurses dedicated to laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Together, this team has successfully performed hundreds of laparoscopic procedures.
• Average hospital stay of two days.
• Average recovery time of 10 days to six weeks, depending on the physical requirements of the patient's job.
• Low risk for wound-related problems, such as hernias and wound infections.
• Minimal scar tissue formation, which can decrease safety risk associated with future surgeries.

At the time of the patient's consultation, the appropriate surgical weight loss procedure will be chosen based upon established program criteria.

Overview of the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Procedure
Whether performed using the open or laparoscopic technique, the first part of the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure involves creating a small stomach pouch. The surgeon begins by dividing the stomach in two unequal parts, creating a small upper section and a larger bottom section. The small upper section has a one-half ounce capacity. After the surgery, this pouch will be the only part of the stomach to receive food. The remainder of the stomach will be bypassed in the digestive process.

With the stomach divided, a segment of small intestine, known as the Roux Loop, is brought from the lower abdomen and joined with the small stomach pouch. When joining the Roux Loop to the stomach pouch, surgeons create a half-inch opening, referred to as the "stoma." The suture line of the stoma is inverted to reduce the possibility of leakage. This feature is routinely performed by the Center for Bariatric Surgery.

During the next part of the procedure, the bypassed portion of the stomach and a portion of the intestinal tract, known as the duodenum, are reconnected to the Roux Loop at a point located 100 centimeters from the stoma. This point of bowel reconnection is referred to as the "entero-enterostomy." The remainder of the intestinal tract is not disturbed.

Although the bypassed stomach is unable to receive food following surgery, it remains intact and still performs an important function in the digestive process. The food passes through the newly created stomach pouch, while the bypassed stomach continues to secrete stomach juices flowing through the intestinal tract. These digestive juices, along with those from the pancreas and liver, join with food at the entero-enterostomy to begin the digestive process.