Should I Have A Gastric Bypass

It seems every couple of days there is story in the press relating to gastric bypass, the surgical procedure also known as stomach stapling whereby an extremely overweight person has their stomach rather unceremoniously operated on to reduce its capacity.

Two recent celebrities that have allegedly undergone the procedure are Fern Britton and Vanessa Feltz with varying degrees of success.

A recent story in the Daily Mail featured a 27 year old woman who lostĀ 14st 4lb after her procedure. The Staffordshire woman went from 24st 2lb to just 9st 12lb – losing a stone immediately after the op. Now it seems her current dilemma is what to do about her excessive skin.

For every success story involving gastric bypass surgery you will no doubt read one that was not quite so successful – it is not without risks.

What Is A Gastric Bypass

Gastric bypass surgery involves making theĀ stomach physically reduced and allowing food to bypass a region of the small intestine.

The bypass makes your stomach feel satisfied more rapidly than when your stomach was its original size. This in turn significantly reduces the size of the food portion you can eat.

Bypassing this region of the stomach results in fewer calories being absorbed. less calories absorbed means a reduction in excess fat.

The operation involves the stomach being made smaller by creating a small pouch towards the top of the stomach using special surgical staples or alternatively a small plastic band.

The smaller stomach is joined to the central part of the small intestine (jejunum), bypassing the other parts and the upper portion of the small intestine (duodenum).

Sounds complex.

Where To Go For A Consultation

Before you go to any private clinic make an appointment to visit your GP. Gastric Bypass surgery is not suitable for everyone.

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