| Bariatric Surgery.info Malabsorptive Bariatric Surgery Benefits and Risks |
Post-operative complications and health
dangers of gastric bypass |
Benefits and Risks of Malabsorptive Bariatric SurgeryBenefitsMalabsorption procedures (like roux-en-Y) lead to greater weight reduction than restrictive operations, and are more effective in reducing health problems associated with morbid and malignant obesity. Patients who have malabsorptive surgery typically lose two-thirds of their pre-operative excess weight within 2 years. Nutritional RisksMalabsorptive operations share many of the post-operative risks of restrictive surgery, but in addition pose a greater risk for nutritional deficiency. This risk of malnutrition stems from the fact that gastric bypasses cause food to bypass the duodenum and jejunum - the places where important minerals like iron and calcium are absorbed into the bloodstream. Thus bariatric bypass patients have a high risk of chronic anemia or conditions like osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease. This is why malabsorptive bypass surgery patients need to take vitamin and mineral nutritional supplements. The digestive effects of some gastric bypass procedures (eg. biliopancreatic diversion) require patients to take fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K dietary supplements. Risk of Dumping SyndromeRoux-en-Y and biliopancreatic diversion bypass operations may also cause dumping syndrome. This occurs when the food in the stomach moves too rapidly through the small intestine. Symptoms of dumping include: nausea, sweating, feeling faint, and diarrhea after eating. The risk of post-operative dumping syndrome is lower after biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch operation as this procedure maintains the pyloric valve intact. Eating Guidelines After Malabsorptive Gastric BypassAfter undergoing stomach by-pass surgery, patients should eat small meals frequently throughout the day, as their new smaller stomach cannot accommodate large meals. Neither can the new stomach tolerate large amounts of fat, alcohol, or sugar. So for optimum weight loss and minimum side effects, it is essential that patients reduce fat intake, especially fast food meals and deep-fried foods, as well as high-sugar foods like cakes, cookies, and candy. ------------------------------------------------ Gastric Bypass Bariatric Information |