Gastric bypass surgery is the most widely performed bariatric surgery in the world for weight loss. At Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, our Washington University surgeons have years of experience using gastric bypass to help our patients meet their weight-loss goals.
Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass for Weight Loss: How It Works
Gastric bypass is a permanent surgery that helps you lose weight by safely reducing the amount of food you can eat and the amount of calories your body can absorb.
The bariatric surgeon performs gastric bypass using laparoscopic surgery, a minimally invasive approach. Using just a few small incisions, the procedure allows you to heal faster and with a lower risk of complications than open surgery.
During the procedure, your surgeon:
- Divides the stomach into two parts:
- Small “pouch” created from the top part of the stomach
- Larger section called the remnant
- Connects the pouch to a location on the small intestine that is past the duodenum (first part of the small intestine). Doing so bypasses the remnant stomach and the top part of the small intestine, where most of the calories from food are absorbed. That helps you lose weight.
Because the pouch holds only one to two ounces of food or liquid at a time, it limits the amount of food you can consume and helps you feel full faster. The remnant stomach is still able to produce needed enzymes for digestion, though.
The bypass does prevent some nutrients in your food from being absorbed. To replace these nutrients, you will need to take nutritional supplements such as vitamins and minerals.
Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass Surgery: Advantages
Compared with other types of bariatric surgery, gastric bypass offers:
- 60 percent to 80 percent weight loss: On average, patients who have a gastric bypass lose 60 percent to 80 percent of their excess body weight.
- Less weight regain: With the gastric bypass, patients can keep the weight off — with less regain — for years after surgery.
- Improvement of other conditions: Many patients see improvement in some obesity-related health conditions, such as depression, diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea.
Our Options for Weight-Loss Treatment
Gastric bypass surgery is part of our comprehensive weight-loss program. Find out more about our bariatric surgery program and services, including physical therapy through our on-site Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation Center (STAR), nutrition support for weight loss and health checks.
We offer a full range of surgical and nonsurgical weight-loss treatments. Our options include:
Nonsurgical Weight Loss Treatment Options: If you are interested in any of the nonsurgical treatment options for weight loss, you must first determine if you are a candidate and set up a personal consultation. A member of the Washington University gastroenterology team will explain the endoscopic procedures and answer your questions.
Contact Us for Weight Loss Treatment
For more information or to schedule an appointment with a bariatric endoscopy physician, please call toll-free at 844-542-9378.
Referring physicians can call the BJC Transfer Center at 800.252.DOCS (3627) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also visit our referring physicians page.
OFFICE LOCATIONS AT BARNES-JEWISH WEST COUNTY HOSPITAL
Washington University Bariatric Surgery
Medical Office Building 4
1044 N. Mason Road, Suite 320
Creve Coeur, MO 63141
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OFFICE LOCATION AT BARNES-JEWISH HOSPITAL
Washington University Bariatric Surgery
Center for Advanced Medicine
4921 Parkview Place, Suite 8C
St. Louis, MO 63110
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