| All about Roux-en-y Gastric Bypass Surgery Part 1
Bariatrics is the field of medicine encompassing the study of obesity, analyzing causes and promoting the prevention and early treatment to control co-morbidities. Among the different treatment for obesity, Roux-en-Y gastric Bypass (RYGBP) is the most common type of bariatric procedure.
This surgery makes the food bypass part of the stomach and small intestine, reducing calorie intake, but it is almost solely to treat morbid obesity. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has common guidelines that people must meet for roux-en-y gastric bypass including:
- Have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher
- Have a body mass index of 35 or higher with at least 1 co-morbid condition
- Have at least 100 pounds (45 kg) over what is considered the person's "ideal weight"
Co-morbidity is the coexistence of obesity with another disease or condition preventing the performance of a Roux-en-Y gastric Bypass, a gastric-restrictive procedure, but the most commonly performed for weight loss in America , with approximately 140,000 procedures performed during 2005 alone, after more than 50 years being practiced.
Advancements in recent years brought the introduction of the laparoscopic approach, substituting the open procedure technique used to enter into the abdomen. With about five tiny incisions, the laparoscopic approach eliminates the need of a large cut and the risk of developing a hernia, or risk of infection, which was reduced by 30% in comparison with the traditional procedures.
Roux-en-Y gastric Bypass is quicker and safer when it is performed from the laparoscopic approach, taking only one hour, hence requiring less time in the operating room. After the procedure, soreness may remain for a few hours but by taking a pain reliever such as Tylenol, it is easily controllable.
At home, no further pain medication is required, and people can return to work within two weeks, which is considered safest time without health risks, just avoiding lifting heavy weight. Roux-en-Y gastric Bypass Surgery has shown be effective with good long-term weight loss results.
It is more likely to see excess weight reduced in the first 6 months and continues improving over the next 25 months. Research has shown that this procedure provides significant overall improvements in the quality of life, just by following your doctor's recommendation and sticking to your dietary plan and exercise workout.
Whether you undergo Roux-en-Y gastric Bypass from the laparoscopic approach or the traditional open procedure technique, the operation is performed in similar ways: cutting your stomach to form a small pouch, similar in size to an egg, while the remaining stomach and a portion of up to 2 feet of small intestine are bypassed.
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