According to the United States National Institutes of Health, there are above quarter million deaths each year related to obesity. There are also many serious health problems due to obesity, they are high blood pressure, certain cancer types, heart disease, stroke and most importantly type 2 diabetes. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery is a commonly used procedure for taking off the excessive fat.
Why Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery?
Initially doctors recommend treatments that include diet routines, behaviour modification, exercise and sometimes weight-loss pills. If none of these give good results, weight loss surgeries may be recommended depending on the risk factors. According to the National Institute of Healths and the American Society of Bariatric Surgeries, the most commonly performed surgery for weight loss in the United States is Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, it is considered as the golden standard procedure out of all weight loss surgeries.
Procedure of Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery
This procedure is performed like a standard open surgery. In the Roux-en-Y, the stomach is divided into two portions, one of larger size and one with very small size called pouch. The pouch is made in the way that it cannot take an intake of more than 1000 calories per day, thus, limiting the calorie intake. The left out stomach is sealed off, and a portion of patient’s small intestine is divided and sewed to the newly made pouch. The whole process limits our body’s ability in absorbing calories.
Advantages of Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
- This surgery offers the best balance between the weight loss and the risk of complications.
- Within a year, after this surgery, weight loss can be averaged up to 80% of your excess body weight.
- It reduces the risk of higher blood pressure, heart disease and many more problems caused due to obesity.
- According to a study made by Mark Kligman, M.D., the most successful bariatric surgeon from University of Maryland, after 12 to 14 years from surgery the patients only gained about 13% of lost weight.
