What is Gastric By-Pass?
This procedure creates a short-cut for “trafficking” of food through the small bowels. This reduces the overall food absorption. This leads to weight loss in most patients. Several different techniques have been developed. One method currently used is to place staples around the upper part of the stomach. The “pouch” formed by the staple line is cut off from the rest of the stomach and connected with the approximate 100-120 inch end-portion of the small bowel. Weight loss with this procedure is caused by early satisfaction by temporary retention of food in the stomach pouch and by reduced absorption as the food bypasses most of the small bowels.
