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Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is a type of weight-loss surgery that reduces the size of your stomach to a small pouch – about the size of an egg.
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is a type of weight-loss surgery that reduces the size of the patient's stomach to a small pouch – about the size of an egg. It does this by stapling off a section of it. This reduces the amount of food you can eat during meals. The surgeon then attaches this pouch directly to the small intestine, bypassing most of the rest of the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine. This reduces the amount of fat and calories the patient absorbs from the foods they have eaten and further increases weight loss.
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass can be done as an open surgery, with a large cut (incision) on your abdomen to reach your stomach. Alternatively it can be done laparoscopically (keyhole), using a lighted tube with a tiny camera, called a laparoscope. This tool is inserted into your abdomen through several small cuts. Your doctor may prefer to do a laparoscopic procedure instead of open surgery because it generally means you don't stay in the hospital as long and recover more quickly. You also may have less pain, smaller scars, and less risk of getting a hernia or infection. Many people are able to have this procedure done laparoscopically.
You will have some stomach pain and may need pain medication for the first week or so after surgery.
You may stay in the hospital for two to four days after the procedure. You will typically only have liquids or pureed foods for at least three to six weeks after surgery. Rarely, you may have a catheter, or tube, from the larger bypassed part of your stomach.
A catheter or tube will come out of your side and will drain your abdomens excess fluids for four or more weeks depending on your recovery.
Like any surgery, the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure carries some risks:
Long-term complications related to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery may include: