Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass

What is Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass?

Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass is performed to create a small pouch from a portion of stomach using a Laparoscope. Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery helps you to fight the problem of obesity for life. You can lose about 75% of your excess weight and maintain the weight loss for lifetime after Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass.

Where can I get Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass?

Country	Cost with MedSolution
India	$16,542 (inquire)

Cost of procedure performed in the US: $25,000.

All prices are in US dollars and include the cost of the procedure and minimum hospital stay. Estimates and minimum hospital stay will vary depending upon individual needs and requirements.

How does Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass work?

The smaller stomach pouch is created from Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery. This small pouch can now hold a very small amount of food and a feeling of fullness is attained very quickly, even after eating less than one ounce, thus restricting your food intake considerably. As a result, the body burns stored fat for everyday energy. Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass also changes the way your food is absorbed.

Who is an ideal candidate for Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass?

If you are between the ages of 18 and 50 or if you are under 18 yrs of age and are 75 pounds or more overweight, or have diabetes or hypertension, if your BMI is 40 or above, then you are an ideal candidate for Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass once all other treatments for weight loss have been tried and failed.

Who is not an ideal candidate for Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass?

If you are over 60 years of age, if you have already had a surgical procedure for weight loss, if you smoke or use nicotine in any form, then you are not an ideal candidate for Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery. A thorough pre-operative evaluation is done before the Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass to protect your health and safety.

What does the procedure of Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery involve?

The procedure for Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery consists of making 5 - 6 small incisions (1/4 to ½ inch) in your abdomen; carbon dioxide gas is used to inflate the abdominal cavity so that your surgeon can visualize the contents of the abdominal cavity. A small telescope like instrument called the Laparoscope is inserted into the abdominal cavity through one of these incisions. A small pouch that is approximately 6 cm X 2 cm and can hold about 40 cc is created using a special instrument that cuts and staples the stomach tissue. The smaller pouch of the stomach is connected directly to the middle portion of the small intestine, bypassing the rest of the stomach and the upper portion of the small intestine. The actual operating time for Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass is approximately 2 hours. Most probably you will be able to leave the hospital on second post operative day following the Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery. You can return to your normal activities in 3 – 5 weeks. However, this can vary under special circumstances.

What to expect during the recovery period following Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery?

You will be encouraged to walk a few steps the same day of undergoing Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery. You will be consuming high protein food supplements for the first 2 weeks following Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass. During the third week, you will be gradually weaned to eat soft foods like mashed potatoes, yogurt, and cottage cheese. During the fourth week, you will be allowed to take moderate amounts of soft regular food. At that time you might feel strong enough to resume your daily activities like walking, going to work or even driving. A rule of thumb is to avoid excessive tiredness or exertion during the recovery period following Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery.

What is the outcome of Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery?

The rate of weight loss following Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass is quite substantial in the first 12 months. After a few months, the pouch will continue to expand until it can hold what is necessary to maintain a healthy weight.

B . R . A . N . D . of Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass

Benefits of Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass

• The benefits of Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery are many fold. Most importantly, if you fall into the category of severe obesity, Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass enables you to lose weight quickly and keep it off for the rest of your life. Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery helps you to resolve or avoid serious obesity associated health problems like high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, asthma, shortness of breath, sleep apnea, stress urinary incontinence, acid reflux, low back pain and degenerative bone disease. In addition, the resultant weight loss following Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass boosts up your self confidence and self esteem by improving and enhancing your physical appearance and general well being.

Risks of Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass

Like any other surgical procedure, Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery has it’s risks which include:

• Infection at the site of incision – This is not very common however, if it occurs then this can be treated by drainage and antibiotic.
• Pulmonary embolism – Blood clot arising in your leg vein can get dislodged and settle in the lung causing a blockage to blood flow.
• Blockage or leak at the staple site – The leakage of gastric contents into the abdominal cavity can lead to peritonitis. This occurs rarely following the Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery.
• Pneumonia – This can be prevented by walking, deep breathing and coughing exercises following Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery.
• Hernia – The incidence of developing a hernia following a Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery is less than 1%
• Bleeding from the staple site – To prevent this from happening, stop any anti-inflammatory medications, herbal supplements, vitamins, and aspirin prior to Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery.
• Vomiting

Alternatives to Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass

• Lap-Band – In this procedure, a band is placed about one centimeter below the gastro-esophageal junction. This creates a smaller stomach pouch. A reservoir is placed under the skin to connect to the band and allow for the opening to be tightened. This is a minimally invasive (Laparoscopic) procedure, hospital stay is less than 24 hours and there are fewer post-operative complications
• Vertical banded gastro-plasty – This procedure restricts and decreases food intake and does not interfere with the normal digestive process
• Bilio-pancreatic diversion or Bilio-pancreatic diversion with duodenal switch - This operation restricts your food intake and also the amount of calories and nutrients your body can absorb.
• Open Gastric Bypass – In this procedure your surgeon makes a large incision in the upper abdomen

Now or Never

• Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery commonly referred to as Laparoscopic Stomach Stapling is an excellent option for you if you are severely obese and cannot lose weight by traditional means or if you suffer from serious obesity-related health problems. Timely Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery accompanied by change in eating behavior and regular exercise can decrease your chances of developing serious and life threatening health problems.

Decision to have Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass

• Compared to traditional Gastric Bypass, Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery offers better outcomes. You will experience less pain, easier breathing and better healing following Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass and there will be fewer post-operative complications, resulting in quicker return to pre-surgery activity level.