Gastric bypass is a surgical treatment for morbid obesity. Gastric bypass is very effective and most people have very good results. Not only does gastric bypass help them lose weight, but several other health problems can also improve. If you have type 2 diabetes, gastric bypass can cure it. Your cholesterol and blood pressure will probably normalize after gastric bypass, which decreases your risk for heart attack or stroke. If you have sleep apnea, it may be cured, too. Most people who have gastric bypass lose a significant amount of weight, and for most, the health benefits outweigh the risks.
In the most common form of gastric bypass, a small stomach pouch is created on the upper portion of the stomach, and it is sewed to the jejunum, or the middle part of the small intestine. Gastric bypass helps you lose weight in two ways:
- Your stomach is smaller and is not able to hold very much food, so you get full faster and eat less, and
- You absorb less of the food you do eat because much of the stomach and the duodenum are not available for food absorption.
Gastric bypass is a risky surgery, and is usually reserved for people with a body-mass index of over 40 who have serious, life-endangering health problems related to their obesity. People who have gastric bypass have failed at all other methods of losing weight.
After gastric bypass you are unable to eat large amounts of food at one time. If you eat certain foods after gastric bypass, such as foods with a lot of sugar and fat in them, you can have "dumping syndrome." This occurs when foods move too quickly through the digestive system, and you may experience nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, sweating, dizziness and faintness.
You also lose your ability to absorb certain nutrients after gastric bypass, especially vitamins and minerals. People who have had gastric bypass must commit to a regimen of taking supplements and medications so that they do not develop vitamin and mineral deficiencies that result in osteoporosis or anemia.
About a third of the people who have gastric bypass develop vitamin B12 deficiency and pernicious anemia. Until recently, these people had to take vitamin B12 shots. Now there is a painless way for you to get the vitamin B12 you need if you have had gastric bypass. The B12 Patch sends vitamin B12 painlessly through your skin and into your bloodstream.
