At New Life Jax Center, our goal is to improve the quality of life for our patients. Patients can expect well-renowned surgeons who are highly trained in providing the best treatment to patients suffering from obesity, a state of the art medical facility, and a friendly staff. Our surgeons will assess your care to decide if gastric bypass surgery is suitable for you. If you qualify, then he will discuss your protocol with you.
In the event gastric bypass surgery is too risky for your health, your surgeon will design a personalized diet for you or recommend other surgical resolutions.
Gastric bypass surgery is perhaps one of the most commonly performed bariatric surgeries with more than 216,000 bariatric surgeries performed in the United States during 2016 – that’s nearly 20% of gastric bypass surgeries!
Gastric Bypass surgery, or Roux-en-Y, is a bariatric surgery in which the stomach volume is reduced to restrict excess food consumption by rerouting a part of the intestine resulting in reducing the amount of calories consumed. The patient gradually loses weight while developing healthy eating habits This type of bariatric surgery is suitable for people who are morbidly obese having 40+BMI, along with the serious health issues caused by obesity.
Here at Newlife Jax Hospital, we conduct gastric bypass surgery with the help of a minimally invasive technique, called the laparoscope. By using laparoscopy, the recovery is quicker, hospitalization is shorter, and post-operative complications are considerably less.
In addition to losing 60%-80% of your excess weight, here are some benefits of going through Gastric Bypass Surgery:
- Helps to recover or even cure the conditions which are caused by obesity like high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and diabetes.
- Improves life quality and even life span
- Reduces the appetite and stimulates satiety by regulating the hormones responsible for food cravings.
- Improves the breathing of the patient
- Reduce the risk of hernia
- Enhance the fertility rate
Generally, after the surgery patients have to stay in the hospital for just 1-3 days, provided no complications arise. Only 10% of patients experience minor complications post-surgery, while only 5% face serious postoperative health problems. Depending upon the type of work you do, you will be able to return to work within 1-3 weeks. Although the first week will be focused on resting, you will have to walk around a bit to prevent blood clotting.
Although Gastric Bypass surgery is a very effective surgical procedure with a survival rate of 99.8%, there are some risks involved. These risks are as follows:
- Bleeding
- Wound Infection
- Constipation
- Blood Clotting
- Pulmonary problems
In rare cases, some long-term complications after the surgery are:
- Nutritional Deficiencies
- Ulcers
- Low Blood Sugar
- Malnutrition
- Stomach Perforations.
It is important for patients to keep their appointments and follow the diet guidelines to avoid dumping syndrome, which refers to the passing of food to the small intestine before being broken down. This generally happens when you eat sweet or high-fat foods very rapidly or in excess amounts.
To avoid experiencing this, try to stick to the doctor’s instruction and also refrain from eating the following foods:
- Grapes
- Beef
- Nuts
- Shellfish
- Corn
- Beans
While there are risks involved with Gastric Bypass surgery, your success depends on you following the surgeon’s instructions and attending your follow-up appointment.