What is Duodenal Switch Weight Loss Surgery?

Diet, exercise, anti-obesity drugs and behavioral therapy are first recommended in order to treat obesity. But, the most effective treatment option against obesity is weight loss surgery. One such surgical procedure is the duodenal switch which results in weight loss, improves the quality of life of the patients and reduces the complications associated with this physical disorder. This article tries to learn more about the pros and cons of the surgery.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the following are the requirements to be met by a patient before this procedure:

• The patient should have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more
• The patient should have a BMI of 35 or more and should suffer from obesity-related conditions like sleep apnea, heart ailments, type 2 diabetes and osteoarthritis
• Knowledge of the surgical procedure and the way to lead life after it

What is Duodenal Switch Weight Loss Surgery?

In this operation, nearly 70 percent of the stomach, mostly belonging from its greater curvature, is removed. The small intestine is also divided into two different pathways with a common channel. There is a shorter path called the digestive loop which carries food from the stomach to the common channel. The longer pathway is called the biliopancreatic loop which carries bile juices required for digestion produced in the liver to the common channel.

The common channel is a 75-150 centimeter long section of small intestine. It is here where the food mixes with the bile juices prior to its entry into the large intestine. In this way, the body gets a little time to capture calories from food as the long path of the small intestine is rerouted. Absorption of fat in the body also comes down resulting in the patient absorbing only 20 percent of the fat consumed through food, after the surgery.

Advantages:

• The weight loss after the surgery is significant, with the condition of hyperlipidemia treated up to 99 percent

• The chances of regaining the fat lost are very low
• This procedure provides 98 percent cure from Type 2 diabetes in obese people
• Sleep apnea condition is treated up to 92 percent and hypertension condition is reduced by 83 percent
• The signalling molecule Ghrelin which makes us feel hungry is produced in less quantity after the surgery because of the removal of the greater curvature of stomach
• Diet is normal after the procedure when compared to other weight loss operations

Disadvantages:

• Vitamin and mineral supplements are to be taken in addition to the normal diet
• For the rest of the life, a patient has to continuously undergo blood test compulsorily in order to ensure that the vitamins and minerals in the blood are at their optimal levels
• Formation of gallstones after weight loss surgery is a common risk. Some physicians remove the gall bladder during this surgery itself while others prescribe medications to reduce the risk
• Smelly flatus and diarrhea are reported by many people who undergo this surgery

Risks of Duodenal Switch Weight Loss Surgery:

• Malnutrition though easily preventable
• Hernia
• Bowel obstruction
• Blood clot in deep vein
• Blood clot in the lungs
• Leakage in the stomach
• Infection