Weight Loss with a Gastric Bypass, what is it?

This continues our series on weight loss surgery and the different types available.

Our digestive system is very easy to understand visually.  

It's basically a long tube from your mouth to, well, the other end...  It's wider in some parts, narrower in others and has your stomach about 18 inches down from your mouth, in total, it's about 30 feet long .

The important areas for weight loss and appetite, however are the stomach and the first part of the intestine just after the stomach.

So, enter the surgical boffins, who thought that if we bypass part of the stomach and that sensitive part of the intestine just after the stomach, that could help people to reduce their appetite and lose weight.  Guess what, it worked!  The Gastric Bypass was born and is now the gold standard for all weight loss surgery.

It's all done using keyhole surgery so any scarring is minimal and this also means that the risk of infection is minimised.

How does it work?

Imagine a road (from your mouth to your stomach) with lots of traffic (your food) going into a small village (your stomach).  There is always a traffic jam in the small village.  So, the planners block the entry to the village for through traffic and then divert it around the village (stomach) back onto the main road (intestine) on the other side.  The villagers (stomach contents) can still get out but the busy traffic (food) bypasses most of the village.   Everyone is happy.

How much weight will I lose?

Great question and the simple answer is a lot.  Everyone has different responses, but if it works well you could lose up to 1/3 of your weight.  So if you weigh 21 stone, you could lose up to 7 stone, or you could go from 150kg to less than 100kg.

How much does it cost?

The usual prices start from less than £11,000.  As a single figure that may look like a lot, but it's in the region of £200 per kilo lost.  And remember, most people who have this type of intervention are able to keep that weight off.

What are the side effects?

In most cases, there are very few side effects and your Private Surgeon will discuss these with you before you make a decision.  One important thing to remember is that you will need to take lifelong multi-vitamins and you should also have regular blood checks to see if you need any other supplements.

In the short term, you'll only be able to take liquid foods - probably for about 4 weeks, but we'll have you back at work within 4-6 weeks.

For more information or to get in touch with us try www.theprivatesurgeon.com