For those amongst us who are obese and have not succeeded in their efforts in regulating their weight through diet and exercise, bariatric surgery is often the last recourse. The most common type of bariatric surgery is gastric bypass; it is considered safer than other weight-loss surgery and it has fewer post-operative complications. You need to educate yourself on the procedure before you decide to go with it.

You may want to undergo gastric bypass surgery if your BMI is 40 or higher or between 35 to 39.9 and you are facing obesity-related issues like diabetes and osteoarthritis.

Gastric bypass on its own does not enable a permanent weight loss solution; post surgery you have to be committed to make certain lifestyle changes. These include changes in eating habits, refraining from liquor and nicotine products, and following an exercise plan. Candidates for a gastric bypass surgery are screened by physicians, dieticians, surgeons, and psychologists to check for psychological and medical readiness.

A gastric bypass (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass) entails physically separating a part of the stomach from the rest of the stomach and attaching it to the small intestine. The separated portion is the size of a small pouch and it can hold up to an ounce of food. A gastric bypass limits an individual’s ability to absorb calories. The stomach remains healthy and continues to secrete gastric juices that mix with the food in the small intestine.

A gastric bypass can also be performed as a laparoscopic surgery. A laparoscopic gastric bypass requires a shorter stay in the hospital as compared to an “open” gastric bypass, the recovery period is shorter and there are fewer wound-related complications.

A feeling of coldness, body aches, tiredness, hair loss, and dry skin are some of the reactions that occur after a gastric bypass. Many obesity-related problems such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and high blood pressure.

Risks associated with gastric bypass surgery include blood clots in the legs, pneumonia, narrowing of the opening between the small intestine and the stomach, and in some cases even death.

Other weight-loss surgery options include adjustable gastric banding, vertical banded gastroplasty, and biliopancreatic diversion. Check out this video on gastric bypass.