Mini Gastric Bypass Surgery is bairiatric procedure that has gained popularity in recent years. The procedure is used as a great tool to get rid of almost all excess weight in patients with morbid obesity. The procedure itself was developed in 1997 by Dr. Robert Rutledge and was identified as a good alternative to the traditional gastric bypass surgery. The purpose of both the mini gastric bypass surgery and the traditional gastric surgery is to significantly reduce the size of the stomach in order to limit the amount of food an individual can consume. During the procedure the digestive system is generally altered which thus helps in reducing the amount of calories and nutrients the body can absorb.

Generally the procedure can be termed as restrictive and malabsorptive. The restrictive part is what entails the reduction of the stomach thus restricting the amount of food an individual can eat. The malabsorptive is alteration of the digestive tract whereby the surgeon bypasses the up to 6 feet of the intestines thus reducing the amount of food that can be absorbed.

Reasons for the Creation of the Mini Gastric Bypass Surgery 

The development of the mini gastric bypass surgery was inspired by the need to reduce the operating time, improve the procedure as well as reduce the complications that are associated with bariatric procedures. Although the traditional gastric bypass procedure yields the same results as the mini gastric bypass procedure, it takes longer times to perform the operation and is often very complex while it is also associated with various complications. The mini gastric bypass surgery has reduced the complication rates significantly compared to the traditional gastric bypass procedure.

The procedure  

Mini gastric is a minimally invasive procedure which means that it is conducted laparoscopically where the surgeon makes a few small incisions through which he passes the essential instruments that are required to conduct the operation inside the internal organs. The surgeon is able to perform the surgery by viewing the internal organs on monitor to which images are sent by the laparoscope which is a tiny camera passed through one of the incisions.

This procedure is conducted after the patient is fully prepared after having been given all the information about the entire procedure, the likely complications which are few as well after conducting some very important tests to ensure that the patient qualifies for the procedure.

The procedure starts by the surgeon making narrow tube which is different from the pouch that is create when conducting the standard or traditional gastric bypass surgery. The stomach is then separated with a stapler and the large part of the stomach is thus separated from the oesophagus meaning that it will no longer receive food. Basically, your stomach now becomes smaller and with a tube like shape.

Next the small intestine are then bypasses between 2 to 7 feet of length. The remainder of the small intestines is then connected with the new tube-shaped stomach. The bypassed part of the intestines is where most of the absorption of food takes place. Thus once it has been bypassed, one consumes food, it will be going directly to the tube shaped stomach and the directly to the remaining part of the small intestines. This ensures that the patient does not eat too much food due to the reduced stomach size and also a lot of calories and nutrients are not absorbed into the body since the small intestines especially the duodenum has been bypassed.

Mini gastric bypass surgery can lead to effective loss of excess weight especially when it is combined with other lifelong lifestyle changes. This can work very well form people with extreme obesity which is known as morbid obesity. Such people should healthy lifestyle changes in order to ensure that the procedure is very effective and that they remain with healthy weight for the rest of their lives.

Advantages of Mini Gastric Bypass Surgery

Mini gastric bypass surgery for morbid obesity has various advantages that make it gain popularity among very many patients across the world who need the best treatment for obesity. This advantages or benefits make it stand out as the best procedure for treating morbid obesity among compared to the traditional gastric bypass procedure.

Some of the advantages include:

1.       Decreased risk of co-morbidities

This actually means the conditions that are associated with the morbid obesity are greatly reduced. Morbid obesity is known to cause certain health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and edema. According to various studies that have gone through this procedure and had some of these conditions, it was reported that most of them experienced reduced high blood, diabetes , edema, arthritic pain as well as sleep apnoea. Therefore hang the procedure not only ensures that you have reduced the excess weight but also you have decreased the risk of co-morbidities.

2.       Shorter operating time

The procedure itself involves shorter operating time than the traditional gastric bypass surgery. The surgeon uses equipment that is easy to use and only creates a narrow tube which does not take a long time. Generally, the procedure is simplified but also effective.

3.       The procedure is less invasive

Mini gastric bypass surgery of morbid obesity is less invasive since it only involve the making of small incisions which presents a much safer procedure alternative to the traditional procedure. The patient recover very fast and can get back to normal activities after a few days.

4.       Less post-operative complications

Being a less invasive procedure the post-operative complications are greatly reduced and the likelihood for revision is also reduced.

The procedure itself generally involves less routing of the intestines which really enables the procedure to be conducted within a short time, mostly one hour or even below that. Due to the nature of the surgeon does not require a lot of technical expertise because there are no complex steps that have to be made. Although, it is a simplified procedure, mini gastric bypass yields the similar weight loss to that of traditional gastric bypass.

What are some of the disadvantages of mini gastric bypass surgery for morbid obesity?

Disadvantages of mini gastric bypass for morbid obesity

Mini gastric bypass surgery is associated with a few disadvantages or risks including:

·         Likelihood of acid reflux. This can happen because the pouch is small and while the remainder of the stomach is connected to the intestines still. Gastric acid can find its way down to the intestines and into the new stomach.

·         While still the procedure is less invasive there may be leakage and even some of infection where the staple have been attached in order to reduce the stomach and to bypass the intestines.

·         Patients who have gone through the surgery may feel some form of dumping syndrome. This happens when the food passes so fast through the altered digestive system. This can cause dizziness, nausea and diarrhea.

·         This procedure involve bypassing a large part of the intestines and this ultimately leads to some increased risks of malabsorption.

After the procedure patients especially the first two weeks may feel some pain in the abdomen when they twist their torso. This is not something that should make you raise an alarm, it is actually a non-issue and can be treated using the right medication. Patients are advised to keep moving or engage in various exercises such as walking in order to get rid of the pain and promote faster recovery.

Being a minimally invasive procedure patients can actually be released one day after the surgery. However for quicker recovery while at home, sticking to a strict diet, which is mostly the liquid diet is highly advised especially during the first two weeks. The liquid diet can actually be the soft diet that can be digested easily. You will get t normal food after a month.

As a smart patient you need to stick to healthy diet that include more protein, vegetables and fruits. You should try as much as possible to avoid the junk food.

Cost of mini gastric bypass surgery

Mini gastric bypass surgery for morbid obesity if relatively cheaper compared to Roux-en-Y surgery. You will be able to save a few thousand dollars with this procedure. Mostly it cost around $15,000 and $20,000.

Should you choose mini gastric bypass surgery?

As we have seen this procedure has quite very impressive benefits. Choosing it would be a good decision. Your surgeon may give you the way forward on whether to choose it or not depending on your conditions and other relevant factors.

Conclusion

The mini gastric bypass surgery for morbid surgery is a good procedure given its several advantages including a reduction of the complication rates. Less patients have to go back to the hospital for revisions due to the complications. The procedure is generally technically easy for the surgeon who is able to finish it within a very short time. The results in terms of weight loss are similar to those of traditional gastric bypass.