Mini Gastric Bypass Surgery | Halcyon Hospital – Advanced Weight Loss Solution

What is Mini Gastric Bypass?

The Mini Gastric Bypass, heralded for its efficacy and reduced invasiveness, has emerged as a compelling option in the landscape of weight loss surgeries. By streamlining the traditional procedure, it not only creates a smaller stomach pouch but also establishes a direct connection to the small intestine, thereby accelerating the digestive process. This innovative approach has garnered attention for its ability to yield remarkable weight loss outcomes and facilitate substantial health enhancements, making it an appealing choice for individuals seeking a transformative solution to obesity-related challenges.

Moreover, the mini gastric bypass stands out for its striking balance between effectiveness and invasiveness. Unlike more intrusive surgical interventions, such as the full bypass, it offers a middle ground that prioritizes significant results while mitigating the potential risks associated with extensive surgical procedures. Its capacity to deliver substantial weight loss and health benefits with relatively less trauma to the body underscores its appeal among patients and healthcare providers alike. Furthermore, its emphasis on lifelong dietary adherence underscores the importance of sustained lifestyle changes in achieving long-term success post-surgery, highlighting its comprehensive approach to holistic well-being.

How does Mini Gastric Bypass Work?

To do a laparoscopic mini gastric bypass, the surgeon makes small cuts in your belly and puts in a tiny camera and tools. You're asleep during the surgery, which usually takes 1 to 3 hours. Afterwards, you stay in the hospital for about 3 days. This surgery can help you lose up to 60% of the extra weight you carry in about 2 years after the surgery.

During the surgery, the surgeon staples a small part of your stomach to make it into a narrow tube. This new tube is then connected to a different part of your small intestine, bypassing some of your stomach and the first part of your small intestine. The part of your stomach and small intestine that's bypassed still works, but it's not involved in digesting your food anymore.

This helps you lose weight in a few ways:

It reduces your feeling of hunger by changing how signals between your gut and brain work
You feel full sooner when you eat, so you eat less
You absorb fewer calories from your food because the surgery skips a big part of your stomach and small intestine where digestion happens

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Pre Procedure

How Mini Gastric Bypass Surgery Is Done

Laparoscopic Gastric Mini Bypass Surgery is recommended for individuals who meet certain criteria. These may include

Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or higher, indicating severe obesity (class III)
BMI of 35 or higher, accompanied by obesity-related health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, heart disease, cholesterol etc
Previous unsuccessful attempts at weight loss through diet, exercise, and other non-surgical methods
Past medical and surgical history may also affect eligibility, so it is important to come in for a consult beforehand

MEDICAL – Obesity-related illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cholesterol, infertility, sleep apneas, asthma and cancer; are reduced. It also helps in long-term control of type 2 diabetes, and less dependence on medication — or the elimination of medication altogether.

PHYSIOLOGICAL – You may also enjoy the elimination of back and joint pain, decreased depression, improved breathing and increased energy

PSYCHOLOGICAL – Dramatic improvements in your overall health and quality of life with improved self-image, increased self-confidence and the satisfaction that comes from enjoying a wider range of activities with friends and loved ones.

Results may vary dependent on lifestyle changes as well, we recommend an amalgamated approach for best results and sustainability

WEEKS BEFORE
To determine the suitability & your body’s fitness for the gastric mini bypass surgery we will take you thorough medical, psychological, nutritional assessments and pre- counselling.

The pre-surgery weight loss diet is essential because it is low in fat and carbohydrate content, helping reduce your glycogen levels to help reduce the size of the liver, which is essential for the operation.

There should be no intake of caffeinated drinks (coffee and energy drinks) at least a week before your surgery date. Your dietary intake in the week leading up to the surgery should be light like vegetables and fruits

DAYS BEFORE
You'll need to stop smoking, eating heavy unhealthy meals, taking aspirin, ibuprofen, and other blood-thinning medicines in the days before your surgery. You shouldn't eat or drink anything after midnight before surgery.

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How Is It Done & How Does It Work Pre

Before the surgery, you'll be given general anesthesia to make you sleep and feel no pain during the procedure

The surgeon makes a few small cuts, or incisions, in your abdomen. These are usually less than an inch long.

A laparoscope, which is a thin tube with a camera and other instruments, is inserted through one of the incisions. This allows the surgeon to see inside your abdomen

The top portion of your stomach is stapled to create a narrow tube, separating it from the rest of the stomach. This reduces the size of your stomach and limits the amount of food it can hold

The newly created stomach tube is then connected directly to a loop of the small intestine. This bypasses a portion of the small intestine, including the duodenum, which is the first part of the small intestine.

The incisions are closed with stitches or surgical tape.

Reduced Hunger Signals: By altering the communication between your gut and brain, the surgery reduces feelings of hunger, helping you eat less
Early Satiety: The smaller stomach size and direct connection to the small intestine result in an earlier feeling of fullness when eating, leading to smaller portion sizes.
Decreased Calorie Absorption: Bypassing a significant portion of the stomach and duodenum reduces the amount of calories absorbed from food, aiding in weight loss
Altered Digestion: While the remaining portion of the stomach and duodenum still functions, they are no longer involved in the digestion process, further contributing to weight loss

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Post Procedure

Recovery may vary from person to person, but here’s what you need to know

3-5 days after the surgery to ensure proper healing, rehabilitation and monitoring of progress. Patients who have undergone laparoscopic procedures may return to work within 1 week after surgery. However, it is not advisable to engage in intense physical work

Diet : Shortly after surgery, you'll begin reintroducing foods into your diet in phases in consult with your nutritionist who will teach you how and what to eat with your reduced stomach size. You'll start consuming a clear liquid diet within 24 hours of your surgery, then advance to a full liquid diet, a soft food diet, and your regular diet in the weeks ahead. You will also have to reduce certain foods, such as simple sugars, including honey, white sugar, or syrups, to avoid dumping syndrome. You will need to chew slowly and fully, and not to drink 30 minutes before or after you eat. While it may seem demanding, ignoring dietary recommendations may cause constipation, dehydration, diarrhea, or in extreme very rare cases, gastric acid leakage.

Supplements : You will have follow-up visits with your bariatric surgery team to help you develop good eating and exercise habits that will change your lifestyle. Your initial weight loss may occur quickly, so it's important to get all of the nutrition and vitamins you need as you recover. To prevent nutritional problems after gastric bypass surgery, your doctor may advise on supplements like Vitamin B12 and iron.

Fever
Your wound becomes painful or hot to the touch or leaks fluid
Coughing or trouble breathing
Vomiting and diarrhea
Pain in the abdomen, chest, shoulder, or legs
Any other problems or symptoms

During weight-loss, you may have body aches, dry skin, mood changes, and temporary hair thinning, and feel tired and cold. As your weight stabilizes, these problems should go away. Weight loss continues for about a year, and then it will stabilize at your body’s optimum BMI.

GASTRIC BYPASS VS MINI GASTRIC BYPASS

When comparing Gastric Bypass to Mini Gastric Bypass, several factors come into play. While the mini gastric bypass may offer shorter operating times and be technically easier for surgeons, its weight loss outcomes and recovery periods are comparable to traditional Gastric Bypass procedures. However, its adoption isn't as widespread due to potential complications such as severe acid reflux.

This arises from the smaller pouch created in the mini gastric bypass, which remains connected to the intestines, allowing gastric juices to travel back up, leading to heartburn. Moreover, there's a risk of lifelong dependence on food supplements and vitamins to prevent severe malnutrition, sometimes necessitating reoperation.

Despite its relative novelty, the mini gastric bypass is primarily geared towards simplifying surgical procedures rather than offering significant advantages over Gastric Bypass.

The process to get you started on your weight loss journey

Non - Surgical Approaches

Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is essential for overall well-being.

While weight loss journeys vary from person to person, there are numerous safe and effective methods available, both surgical and nonsurgical.

Here, we explore different approaches to healthy weight loss.

Surgical Weight Loss

Gastric Sleeve

Gastric sleeve surgery, or sleeve gastrectomy, is a widely favoured, minimally invasive weight loss solution. Removing a significant part of the stomach forms a smaller, banana-shaped stomach, curbing food intake, aiding weight loss, and enhancing health in cases of moderate to severe obesity.

Gastric Bypass

Gastric bypass, a proven weight loss approach, forms a small stomach pouch and redirects the small intestine. While more invasive than the gastric sleeve, it effectively induces weight loss and improves health conditions, demanding rigorous post-surgery dietary adherence for optimal outcomes.

Mini Gastric Bypass

The mini gastric bypass streamlines the traditional process, establishing a smaller stomach pouch directly linked to the small intestine. Balancing effectiveness and invasiveness, it delivers substantial weight loss and health benefits, demanding lifelong dietary adherence for success, making it a preferred choice.

Duodenal Switch

The duodenal switch, a preferred weight loss surgery for severe obesity, involves stomach reduction and small intestine rearrangement to limit calorie absorption, leading to significant weight loss. Despite its effectiveness, careful dietary management is crucial, making it suitable for those unsuccessful with other treatments.

FAQs

Obesity surgeries are evaluated based on body mass index, previous surgeries, previous medical history, amount of weight loss desired as well as financial implication – are the variables that help determine this.

It is dependent on an individual’s body mass index (BMI) and the presence of any co-morbidities. You may qualify for surgery if you have a BMI of 40 or greater, or if your BMI is at least 35 with other obesity-related health problems e.g. diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and sleep apnea.

Usually 1-4 days of stay in the hospital. Problems that may occur during the preoperative evaluation and postoperative recovery period may determine this period.

Communication with your team and following your doctor’s instructions can prevent majority of the complications. Some include – dumping syndrome, dehydration, and nutrient deficiencies but can be avoided if the correct diet is followed and supplements.

We will transition you from liquid diet to solid diet gradually. High carb, sugary fluids and generally junk meals are to be reduced or completely avoided for better results, minimal side effects and sustainability of weight loss

After leaving the hospital, heavy activities should be reduced. The patient should not lift heavy loads for about 6 weeks.