Center for Bariatric Surgery

Surgical Options

Open Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery

The Center for Bariatric Surgery features several surgical weight loss options.

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.

Open Gastric Bypass Surgery

The open surgical method of the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is performed through a six- to eight-inch incision that extends from the end of the breastbone to just above the naval. The open method of gastric bypass surgery features:

• Surgery always performed by two experienced bariatric surgeons.
• Average hospital stay of three days.
• Average recovery time between three to six weeks, depending on the physical requirements of the patient's job.
• Operating and anesthesia time of 75 to 90 minutes.
• During surgery, the bypassed stomach is marked with a metal suture, referred to as the metal ring Gastropexy, and anchored to the abdominal wall. The Gastropexy can be detected with X-ray equipment and the bypassed stomach easily accessed, if required to test or treat certain medical conditions in the future.

At the time of the patient 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 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.