What is the length of the alimentary limb and the common ileal limb?
The length of the alimentary limb varies from 175 to 185 cm , the common limb varies from 75 to 65 cm and the stomach and duodenum are anastomosed always at 250 cm from the ileocecal valve (large intestine). These variations depend on the BMIs of the patients. For patients above 50 kg/m2 the common channel is made with 65 cm and below 50 kg/m2 it is made with 75 cm . The common channel length is discussed with every patient in order to have explained the benefits of a shorter common channel and its consequent nutritional problems as well. Some patients take the chance of not loosing all the weight they want but avoiding nutritional problems with a shorter common channel. We have been measuring this total length in order to match with the weight loss values in the future and believe this is better than doing standard lengths.
