Is Bariatric Bypass Surgery For You?
There are two basic types of bariatric surgeries for weight
loss: restriction procedures and malabsorption procedures.
Restriction procedures reduce the size of the stomach through
the use of a gastric band, staples, or both, and do not
interfere with the normal digestion process. Malabsorption
procedures, on the other hand, reduce the size of the stomach
and bypass duodenum, the first segment of the small intestine,
and sometimes the whole of the jejunum (the mid-section of the
intestines). Some bariatric procedures combine the two.
The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery is widely accepted as the
most effective surgical weight loss treatment available. During
this procedure, the stomach is divided into two sections,
reducing the size of the new pouch 90 percent, from
approximately two quarts to one or two ounces. This drastic
reduction limits the new stomach pouch