equirements For Gastric Bypass Surgery
General

Requirements For Gastric Bypass Surgery

Getting leaner and fitter is the trend of the times we all are leaving in. However many times despite all our sincere efforts, we fail to the results of our persistence. With the innovation and development of medical sciences, we have few surgical options to lose our weights. These weight loss surgeries are collectively known as Bariatric Surgery.

Gastric Bypass Surgery is a type of bariatric surgery which has been well accepted by the medical fraternity as well as the patients seeing weight loss as an option towards their well being. However, such surgical procedures are not for everyone. After all, why would anyone lie to get under the knife in case things can be solved without invasions? Thus, it becomes imperative to understand the requirements for gastric bypass surgery.

What Is Gastric Bypass Surgery?

Gastric Bypass Surgery is a surgical procedure which reduces your stomach size by dividing the stomach into a smaller upper pouch and a considerably larger lower pouch with the remaining portion of the stomach. Finally the small intestine is rearranged such that both the pouches of the stomach are connected to the small intestine.

This helps your body to change the way in which your stomach and your small intestine manage the food eaten by you. Since the size of the stomach gets smaller, the stomach feels full with the lesser amount of food. Thus the food cravings can be controlled easily. Further, since your stomach is divided into two halves, some foods don’t get absorbed by certain parts of the stomach as well as the small intestine. Thus helping you reduce the calories consumed by eating such food.

However, being a surgically invasive procedure, the process of gastric bypass surgery comes with its own set of health risks and side effects. Thus, it is important to understand and evaluate whether the specific surgical procedure is required for you. Since such a surgery would definitely mean a permanent change in your lifestyle. Gastric Bypass Surgery is a solution which is usually adopted by patients for whom all other techniques of reducing weight have not yielded significant results.

Sleeve Gastrectomy, Gastric Band, and biliopancreatic diversion with a duodenal switch are some other types of bariatric surgeries. Other than the Gastric Bypass Surgery which is usually adopted by the patients seeking weight loss surgeries as an option to reduce their weights.

Requirements For Gastric Bypass Surgery

Surgical procedures such as Gastric Bypass Surgery are a major life changing procedures which certainly reduce various weight related risks such as high blood pressure, sleep apnea, heart diseases, and type 2 diabetes. Though such risks are reduced, there are other complications associated with such surgeries. Therefore it is advisable to take informed actions prior to deciding on such surgical procedures. Gastric Bypass Surgery should be considered to be an option only if

  • You have been unsuccessful in every other possible weight loss options including diets and exercises
  • Your Body Mass Index is higher than 40
  • Your Body Mass Index is more than 35 and you have one or more serious weight related problem such as severe sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.
  • You are in your teens and have gone through the puberty stage while your Body Mass Index is more than 35 along with serious weight related health problems such as severe sleep apnea or type 2 diabetes.
  • You want to improve the insulin resistance and thereby improve your blood sugar levels or make an attempt to reverse your diabetes in other words
  • In case you need to reduce your weight in order to solve the problem of joint pains or other ailments such as asthma, high blood pressure, among others arising from obesity

[Causes Of Sudden Excessive Weight Gain]

Gastric Bypass Diet Recipes

Gastric Bypass is a life changing surgical procedure which requires sincere and severe lifestyle changes. Diet is an important component of our lifestyle. Thus such weight loss surgical procedures certainly require practising strict and recommended dietary practices. A balanced and healthy diet not only helps in managing weight but would also help in healing and be recovering from the surgery. Some of the dos and don’ts of the gastric bypass diet recipes include

  • Choosing lean meats over other meats to fulfil the high protein requirement through various bariatric recipes such as bone broth and lemon garlic cod.
  • Avoiding spicy and greasy foods
  • Avoiding whole milk
  • Eating nutrient dense foods such as meats, eggs, vegetables, beans, and whole fruits
  • Choosing and including canned salmon and tuna
  • Drink enough fluids on a daily basis to avoid dehydration. Those are broths, unsweetened juices, decaffeinated tea or coffee, skimmed milk, and strained cream soups along with water
  • Avoiding solid and hard to digest food until three months from the date of surgery

Such a balanced and healthy diet, when followed over the long term after gastric bypass surgery, helps in

  • Allowing the stomach to heal without being stretched by the food is eaten
  • Allowing you to make a habit of consuming small amounts of food which can be digested comfortably and safely
  • Helping you to lose weight while controlling your tendency to gain weight
  • Helping you avoid any complication and side effects arising out of such surgery.

Gastric bypass Surgery results in long term solution of your excess weight only if such a surgical procedure is carried out after understanding the adequate requirements for gastric bypass surgery. Follow and maintain a strict and sincere routine post the surgery.

Medically Reviewed By
Dr. Kaushal M. Bhavsar (MBBS, MD)Assistant Professor in Pulmonary Medicine, GMERS Medical College, Ahmedabad