Is Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Weight Loss Surgery Right for Me?

Published on March 19 , 2019 | 2 Minutes to Read

Share :

Weight loss is a difficult and complicated process that plays on your emotional and physical health. With more and more people developing clinically severe obesity, there is a corresponding rise in medical and surgical solutions for this health problem.

Intense research into weight loss has resulted in a much deeper understanding of the process behind weight gain. Earlier, it was believed that people only needed to eat less and work out more to create a calorie deficit, and this would help them lose weight. However, this has been proven to be only partly true. Weight and fat levels in our body are controlled by a very complex system of hormones and feedback to the brain. The development of the set point theory – a postulation that the brain reaches a set point of weight and/or fat levels in the body and will strongly resist all efforts to bring that level down – has led to a new insight into why many weight loss efforts are seemingly doomed to fail.

Related Lead: 3 Truths about Weight Loss & Most Effective Treatment For Obesity

So, if you are overweight, or even obese (a BMI of 35), it is likely you have tried everything to lose those extra kilos. You may have gone to the gym, struggled with bland tasting and difficult diets, silently struggled with people’s biased and inappropriate opinions that you just need to “pull your socks up” and lose the weight. Sometimes, it really and truly is beyond your control.

But, that’s what we are here to help you with.

Weight-loss surgery has been mentioned on and off in medical literature for many years. It was only in the 1990s that surgeons finally made some headway in developing this procedure. There are several procedures that are available for weight loss surgery. The gold standard in weight loss surgery, most used and proven procedure is the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure.

Here are some facts about this surgery:

What will the surgeon do?

The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure usually involves 2 steps.

How exactly this surgery is performed depends on your individual situation and the surgeon’s experience and preferences. Some surgeries are carried out using the older method of large incisions in the abdomen. However, because of advances in technology, most surgeries are now performed laparoscopically, which involves inserting instruments through several small incisions made at strategic locations on the abdomen.

This surgery makes the upper stomach much smaller, reducing it to about the size of an egg. The surgeon closes off the upper section of the stomach, which then forms a pouch. The surgeon then attaches this pouch directly to a part of the small intestine that is called the Roux limb. forming a “Y” shape. So, not only does the stomach’s capacity to hold food decrease, the food you eat bypasses the remaining stomach and upper part of the small intestine. This reduces the amount of fat and calories you absorb

Related Read: Understanding Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery For Weight Loss

What can you expect after this category of weight loss surgery?

You will be able to lose upto 95% of your excess weight and consequently lower your risk of future health issues. In addition, you can expect to see a lot of improvement in your overall health and in pre-existing weight-related medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and sleep apnoea

Related Read: Life Post Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery

Talk to your physician about this very possible option for weight loss. To know more about any bariatric procedure, book an appointment with Dr Ravi Rao – call us on 08 65581901.

Footnotes:

[1] – A brief history of bariatric surgery
[2] – Laparoscopic Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass for Morbid Obesity
[3] – Outcomes After Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass for Morbid Obesity