| Bariatric Surgery Home Bariatric Surgery Doctors Locations and Maps Surgical Options For Patients Internet Resources About Bariatric Surgery |
Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery |
|
|
UW Health's bariatric surgery team performs gastric bypass or Roux-en-Y surgery, the most common surgery in the U.S. This procedure may be done either through an open approach (large incision) or via the more common laparoscopic approach.
The Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery Procedure
During the operation, surgical staplers are used to create a small pouch at the top of the stomach. A segment of the small intestine (the jejunum) is then attached to this pouch. Food, therefore, bypasses most of the stomach and the first part of the small intestine (the duodenum).
Benefits of Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
The operation helps you lose weight by both gastric restriction (small pouch created can hold only 2-4 tablespoons at a time, thereby drastically reducing the amount of food that can be eaten at a time) and nutrient malabsorption (with 2 stages of calorie and nutrient absorption bypassed, the body has less opportunity to absorb digestive material).
The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass provides more immediate and dramatic weight loss (6-7 pounds per week in the first 6-12 months).
 Image courtesy of the University of Wisconsin Department of Surgery Publications Office
|