Gastric bypass

What happens during gastric bypass?

• A gastric bypass is performed under general anaesthetic and usually takes between two and four hours
• Your surgeon will usually use laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery
• They will make several small cuts on your abdomen
• Your surgeon will place surgical instruments along with a telescope inside your abdomen to perform the operation
• Your surgeon will create a tunnel behind your stomach
• They will pass a stapling device through the tunnel and then staple your stomach to create a smaller stomach pouch
• They will divide your small bowel below your stomach and bring up the lower end and attach it to your new stomach pouch
• The contents of your new stomach pouch will now bypass the rest of your stomach and the first part of your small bowel.

Going home after gastric bypass

• You should be able to go home the day after your procedure
• Your stomach may be sore and you may experience nausea or vomiting
• These symptoms should ease quickly
• You will start with a liquid-only diet, progressing to soft food and then to solid food
• Due to nutritional deficiencies created by gastric bypass you may need dietary supplements for the rest of your life
• Some patients experience “dumping syndrome” if they eat the wrong foods; resulting in nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea
• You should be able to return to work after two to four weeks depending on the extent of surgery and your type of work
• Many patients experience rapid weight loss in the first 6-9 months following gastric bypass
• It is important that you maintain any diet or exercise programme prescribed in order to continue this progress.

What complications can happen?

General complications of any surgical procedure may include:

• Pain
• Bleeding
• Infection of the surgical site (wound)
• Unsightly scarring
• Developing a hernia in the scar
• Blood clots (deep vein thrombosis)

Specific complications of gastric bypass may include:

• Damage to internal organs
• Surgical emphysema
• Developing a hernia near one of the cuts
• Pouch stenosis
• Staple-line bleeding
• Anastomotic leak
• Developing a hernia inside the abdomen
• Change in bowel habit or diarrhoea
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Anastomotic ulcer
• Developing gallstones

The decision to have gastric bypass surgery must be considered very carefully. Our experienced consultants and bariatrics nurses can give you all the information you need.