Introduction
Gastric bypass is a weight loss surgery which involves reducing the size of the stomach to promote early satiety and bypassing a section of the intestine to limit food absorption. This is usually carried out by the Roux-En-Y procedure in which the stomach and intestine are reconnected by creating two new communications or anastomoses. A single anastomosis gastric bypass is a modification of this procedure that simplifies the technique, reduces operating time and minimizes complications.
Disease Overview
Obesity can negatively affect your life and health in a multitude of ways. It is associated with coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, depression, sleep apnea, infertility, and other conditions. Weight loss through bariatric surgery considerably reduces the risk of disease and improves obesity-related health conditions as well as other aspects of life.
Indications
As with any bariatric surgery, single anastomosis gastric bypass is indicated when obesity endangers your health, eating habits are difficult to control and significant weight loss has not been achieved through diet and exercise.
Surgical Procedure
Single anastomosis gastric bypass surgery is performed under general anaesthesia.
- The procedure may be performed by making an open incision or using a laparoscopic technique, which involves making 3 to 4 small incisions through which a camera and special narrow instruments are introduced.
- Your stomach is first stapled so that a pouch or sleeve is created that is separate from the rest of the stomach.
- In the Roux-En-Y procedure, the intestine is then divided after the initial segment called the duodenum and the lower cut end is anastomosed to the sleeve while the upper end anastomosed to the intestine below the division.
- With single anastomosis gastric bypass, the stomach sleeve is anastomosed to the intestine below the duodenum without making a complete division in the intestine.
- This single anastomosis allows food that enters the small sleeve to bypass the rest of the stomach and duodenum and pass into the lower intestine.
Post-Operative Care
Following the procedure, you will stay a day or two in the hospital and will be started on small amounts of clear fluids initially. Your anastomosis will be checked for any leakage. You will gradually be allowed to advance your diet and will be required to follow up with your doctor on a regular basis. A healthy change in lifestyle is recommended to obtain the best results.
Risks and complications
The single anastomosis gastric bypass is generally a safe procedure but potential risks include:
- Infection
- Bile reflux
- Leakage
- Nutritional deficiency