Often referred to as simply a 'duodenal switch' procedure, this particular form of bariatric surgery is in fact a vertical sleeve gastrectomy to which a duodenal switch is added. This procedure is also sometimes referred to as a biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch.
Of all of the different forms of weight loss surgery available today this is perhaps the most controversial and, though widely performed, there are many surgeons who will not carry out the procedure because of concerns about its long-term effects on a patient's health.
The first part of the procedure is a vertical sleeve gastrectomy in which the stomach is divided vertically and approximately eighty-five percent is removed. The small remaining 'sleeve shaped' stomach, which retains the original outlet to the intestines, functions very much as a normal stomach and this part of the surgery is designed purely to restrict the quantity of food which can be consumed. This part of the operation is a form of 'restrictive' surgery and cannot be reversed.
The second phase of the operation is to create a duodenal switch and this is a form of 'malabsorption' surgery which is largely reversible. Whereas restrictive surgery creates weight loss by physically preventing the patient from eating too much food, malabsorption surgery is designed to restrict the body's ability to absorb calories from a meal as it passes through the digestive tract.
During the procedure the intestine is divided and a small section (usually about 150 cm in length) is used to create a bypass from the duodenum, which is close to the stomach outlet, to a point near the end of the intestinal tract, thus bypassing the bulk of the digestive tract (typically about 500 cm will be bypassed). The result of this bypass (or duodenal switch) is that food passing through the intestine will only mix with the body's digestive juices in the short final section of the intestine below the switch, giving the digestive juices very little time to digest the food and absorb calories from it into the body.
While duodenal switch weight loss surgery has the advantage of providing the patient with weight loss through both restriction and malabsorption, it is the degree to which the malabsorption element predominates in the duodenal switch which gives rise to much of the controversy surrounding this form of surgery. By comparison, the traditional Roux-en-Y operation has a much shorter bypass and the distance over which food mixes with the digestive juices in the intestine is in the region of five times greater.
The argument which many surgeons use against the duodenal switch is simply that so little absorption takes place that there is too great a risk of anemia, protein deficiency and metabolic bone disease. The vertical sleeve gastrectomy with duodenal switch is also arguably the most complex form of weight loss surgery and many believe that it carries an unacceptably high risk of complications.
Despite the risks however, the duodenal switch remains a surgical option and can be very effective, especially in patients with a very high body mass index (BMI).
For more information on the vertical sleeve gastrectomy with duodenal switch and on vertical gastrectomy stomach surgery in general, please visit http://GastricBypassFacts.info
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donald_Saunders
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Monday, February 19, 2007
There Comes a Time when Enough is Enough - Weight Loss Surgery
If the time has come for you to consider weight loss surgery, take it from someone who has had the procedure, think again, and yet again. Like it or not, the lifestyle changes that are demanded for successful long-term weight loss will still be there after any weight loss surgery. And if you think that weight loss surgery will for ever settle your weight control issues, you're in for a big surprise. Instead of removing your weight control issues, this weight loss procedure will require you to continually focus on everything you put in your mouth.
The changes to your life are nothing short of dramatic. While almost everyone focuses on the benefits of weight loss surgery, few are willing to admit that living with the decision can be very difficult and at times complicated. Yes, the majority of surgery, patients will lose between 75 and 100 pounds but it's not without its costs. Do not make the mistake of minimizing these costs as they will be with you for the rest of your life.
Consider...
1. Because you're eating so much less, taking vitamins, minerals and supplements will need to become part of your daily life. Or not talking a one a day vitamin, but usually, a handful of very strong and potent vitamins to maintain your health.
2. You will think twice and sometimes three times before eating anything dense like a one half slice of bread. This is because it takes longer for this type of food to digest which means it sets in your stomach longer. And it sets at the top of your stomach as your stomach acids work to digest and break down the complex carbohydrates. Some days it will be no problem, while others it will cause painful heartburn and discomfort. Oh, you also won't ever be certain each time you take a bite, whether it will be okay or not.
3. Think about your favorite food smells. Imagine Pizza, warm cinnamon rolls in the morning, fresh baked bread or a hot hamburger right off the grill. Now imagine living with those smells throughout your life and realize that the most you can half at any one sitting is a single bite or two. Now reread the above problem that he may face when you do have that bite or two.
4. Feeling full and feeling satisfied are not the same thing. While weight loss surgery does work, it only works on the physical side of weight control. That is, you cannot physically eat very much at any one sitting. Well, surgery will quickly make you feel full with just a couple of bites of food, that food isn't very satisfying. This is because the feeling of fullness isn't that deep down in your gut satisfaction you feel after eating a full meal. No it's more of a full that if you eat another bite, you will surely get sick and vomit type feeling.
5. You will live in a society where food is as much a social event as fueling your body with energy. Business lunches, evening dinners with your loved ones and attending a friends or family event that includes eating becomes problematic.
These are just some of the things that you should consider before committing to gastric weight loss surgery. It's easy to focus strictly on the weight loss aspect without thinking about how this radical, though safe surgical procedure will change your life forever.
Abigail Franks has done extensive research into weight loss and what works. Find out valuable information about the weight loss surgery and other weight loss plans.
The changes to your life are nothing short of dramatic. While almost everyone focuses on the benefits of weight loss surgery, few are willing to admit that living with the decision can be very difficult and at times complicated. Yes, the majority of surgery, patients will lose between 75 and 100 pounds but it's not without its costs. Do not make the mistake of minimizing these costs as they will be with you for the rest of your life.
Consider...
1. Because you're eating so much less, taking vitamins, minerals and supplements will need to become part of your daily life. Or not talking a one a day vitamin, but usually, a handful of very strong and potent vitamins to maintain your health.
2. You will think twice and sometimes three times before eating anything dense like a one half slice of bread. This is because it takes longer for this type of food to digest which means it sets in your stomach longer. And it sets at the top of your stomach as your stomach acids work to digest and break down the complex carbohydrates. Some days it will be no problem, while others it will cause painful heartburn and discomfort. Oh, you also won't ever be certain each time you take a bite, whether it will be okay or not.
3. Think about your favorite food smells. Imagine Pizza, warm cinnamon rolls in the morning, fresh baked bread or a hot hamburger right off the grill. Now imagine living with those smells throughout your life and realize that the most you can half at any one sitting is a single bite or two. Now reread the above problem that he may face when you do have that bite or two.
4. Feeling full and feeling satisfied are not the same thing. While weight loss surgery does work, it only works on the physical side of weight control. That is, you cannot physically eat very much at any one sitting. Well, surgery will quickly make you feel full with just a couple of bites of food, that food isn't very satisfying. This is because the feeling of fullness isn't that deep down in your gut satisfaction you feel after eating a full meal. No it's more of a full that if you eat another bite, you will surely get sick and vomit type feeling.
5. You will live in a society where food is as much a social event as fueling your body with energy. Business lunches, evening dinners with your loved ones and attending a friends or family event that includes eating becomes problematic.
These are just some of the things that you should consider before committing to gastric weight loss surgery. It's easy to focus strictly on the weight loss aspect without thinking about how this radical, though safe surgical procedure will change your life forever.
Abigail Franks has done extensive research into weight loss and what works. Find out valuable information about the weight loss surgery and other weight loss plans.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Laparoscopic Roux en Y Gastric Bypass Surgery
The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass operation is the oldest and best known form of weight loss surgery and, despite the fact that other procedures have been developed in recent years, it still remains a firm favorite with many patients. It is also one of the few forms of weight loss surgery which the majority of insurance companies will authorize without too much difficulty.
In many ways the success of the Roux-en-Y lies in the very fact that it has been around for many years and so has a proven track record. It is also a procedure which many bariatric surgeons have grown up with and are skilled at practicing. This said, the Roux-en-Y has not 'stood still' and today an increasing number of surgeons are performing this traditionally open form of surgery laparoscopically.
The Roux-en-Y involves a three stage process.
First, the stomach is divided to create a small portion, or pouch, to act as the new 'working' stomach. This severely restricts the amount of food that the patient can eat and so the calories that can be introduced into the body.
Next, the intestine is divided so that about fifteen to twenty percent of the small intestine is bypassed, shortening the normal twenty feet of intestine to approximately sixteen or seventeen feet.
Finally, the bypassed section of the small intestine is connected to the lower intestine to allow the necessary digestive juices to mix with food as it passes through the intestine.
The principal of the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is that it creates weight loss by both restricting the quantity of food which the patient can eat and reducing the absorption of calories from food passing through the digestive system.
It is this reduction in the absorption of calories within the digest system which makes the Roux-en-Y a better option for some patients than simple restrictive surgery such as laparoscopic gastric banding. The bypass in the case of the Roux-en-Y is also relatively short and this makes it a safer option than surgeries involving a duodenal switch and far greater bypass of the intestinal tract.
Like any other form of surgery, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery is not without its risks but, overall, these are considered to be acceptable to most patients and a fair price to pay for some excellent results, which can typically see a loss of about seventy percent of excess weight.
For more information on laparoscopic Roux en Y gastric bypass surgery and on gastric bypass surgery in general, please visit GastricBypassFacts.info
In many ways the success of the Roux-en-Y lies in the very fact that it has been around for many years and so has a proven track record. It is also a procedure which many bariatric surgeons have grown up with and are skilled at practicing. This said, the Roux-en-Y has not 'stood still' and today an increasing number of surgeons are performing this traditionally open form of surgery laparoscopically.
The Roux-en-Y involves a three stage process.
First, the stomach is divided to create a small portion, or pouch, to act as the new 'working' stomach. This severely restricts the amount of food that the patient can eat and so the calories that can be introduced into the body.
Next, the intestine is divided so that about fifteen to twenty percent of the small intestine is bypassed, shortening the normal twenty feet of intestine to approximately sixteen or seventeen feet.
Finally, the bypassed section of the small intestine is connected to the lower intestine to allow the necessary digestive juices to mix with food as it passes through the intestine.
The principal of the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is that it creates weight loss by both restricting the quantity of food which the patient can eat and reducing the absorption of calories from food passing through the digestive system.
It is this reduction in the absorption of calories within the digest system which makes the Roux-en-Y a better option for some patients than simple restrictive surgery such as laparoscopic gastric banding. The bypass in the case of the Roux-en-Y is also relatively short and this makes it a safer option than surgeries involving a duodenal switch and far greater bypass of the intestinal tract.
Like any other form of surgery, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery is not without its risks but, overall, these are considered to be acceptable to most patients and a fair price to pay for some excellent results, which can typically see a loss of about seventy percent of excess weight.
For more information on laparoscopic Roux en Y gastric bypass surgery and on gastric bypass surgery in general, please visit GastricBypassFacts.info
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