Bariatric Surgery | Gastric Bypass Surgery | Gastric Banding | Obesity | After Surgery

Here is a quick look at how digestion occurs: An individual chews and swallows food, which travels down the esophagus until it reaches the stomach. The esophageal sphincter, a ring-like muscle opens to let the food through, and closes again to prevent it from coming back up the esophagus. The stomach is the center player of digestion. The upper portion receives and stores food, while the lower section of the stomach mixes the food with acids and enzymes from the liver and pancreas. These substances help break food down even further until they are ready to go to the small intestine. The small intestine is where calorie and nutrient absorption occurs. Its walls absorb nutrients which are transported to the rest of the body. Materials which cannot be used by the body are transported into the colon, or the large intestine where stool is formed and excreted via the rectum.

Bariatric surgery changes the normal process of digestion in order to make weight loss possible.

Gastric bypass surgery is done by making the stomach’s upper portion smaller and connecting it to the mid section of the small intestine. Therefore, the food no longer passes the lower stomach and upper small intestine. By not going through these sections, many nutrients and calories are not absorbed, so the person does not gain weight.

Another common bariatric surgery is gastric banding. A silicon band is placed around the upper stomach using to restrict its ability to hold food, so the individual needs to consume very little but will still feel full faster. Less calories are eaten, thus very little to no weight gain.