Gastric Bypass Surgery “The time for action is now. It's never too late to do something” (Sandburg, 1967). In the world today, people try to live up to societies’ standard of beauty seen in magazines and on television, which sparks a need to be thin. Sometimes it is not always as easy as cutting carbs and increasing exercise. Oftentimes surgery is needed to drop the weight, and that is where gastric bypass surgery comes in. Some people might say, ‘Surgery to lose weight, is not that a little extreme,’ but it is not.
Gastric bypass surgery involves reducing the size of one’s stomach to about the size of a walnut and connecting this smaller stomach directly into the jejunum or the middle section of the small intestine, bypassing part of the small intestine. Since the small intestine is where most calories and nutrients are absorbed, gastric bypass surgery can result in weight loss. Sleeve gastrectomy is similar in that the surgeon reduces the size of the stomach with resulting weight loss. In a sleeve gastrectomy however, 25% of the stomach is removed leaving a sleeve-like pouch. 1 year into the Surgical Treatment and Medications Potentially Eradicate Diabetes Efficiently (STAMPEDE) study, researchers found that both sleeve gastronomy and gastric bypass surgery were more effective than medical therapy in reducing cardiovascular problems, stabilizing blood glucose levels, and reducing the dependency on pharmaceuticals for the management of diabetes mellitus. In this current study, researchers conducted a 3 year follow-up to the initial study, questioning the long-term effects of the surgery, such as the benefits, durability, the reduction of diabetes related organ disease, and the quality of life of the patients. The intention of the 3 year follow-up study is to determine, once again, if gastric bypass and sleeve gastronomy is more effective than medical treatment of diabetes mellitus.
The conventional way to treat morbid obesity via bariatric surgery has changed as medicine has evolved over the years. In 1973, Dr. Ward Griffen first performed an open gastric bypass surgery utilizing a modified version of the Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy (Smith et al., 2004). This procedure created a 50 mL gastric pouch that had a Roux-limb (Smith et al., 2004). However, in 1999 the medical world changed again when a laparoscopic version of the Roux-en-Y surgery was adopted after Drs. Wittgrove and Clark performed the first one (Smith et al., 2004). Today, the conventional and most commonly preformed bariatric surgery is the laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass; this method is favored over an open route. In 2005 alone, Weller and Rosati found that over 75% of gastric bypass surgeries performed that year were laparoscopic surgeries (Banka et al., 2012). According to Suter et al, the laparoscopic option is becoming more appealing due to its lower postoperative complications and quicker recovery time as compared to open gastric bypass surgery (2003). In addition to having a quicker recovery time, laparoscopic surgery tends to result in shorter hospital stays and less blood loss during surgery (Siddiqui et al., 2006). Although the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure is a fairly complicated procedure, skilled surgeons can accomplish the surgery with little-to-no mortality.
Kellie received bariatric surgery a year and a half ago, at age 26, and lost over half her weight—160 pounds (St. Vincent 1). Over one million morbidly obese people in the United States have already received gastric bypass surgery. Since obesity has reached such epidemic proportions, everyone in America is looking for a cure. Gastric bypass surgery has rapidly become a solution for severely obese persons. Being obese causes emotional and physical distress and suffering, which increases a person’s desire to become thin. Several thousands of people are taking control of their lives and health by having bariatric surgery. Gastric bypass surgery has been performed with minor variations since 1968 (How it Works 3). The procedure has grown rapidly over the past few years and numerous hospitals have added the surgery. Success rate/recovery, society’s influence, and health factors all play a significant role as causes for a person to decide if this life-altering, sometimes dangerous, surgery is right for them.
Obesity is a problem of current magnitude in many technologically advanced countries and is becoming an increasing concern in developing countries, which have traditionally dealt with the problems of lack of nutrition. Obesity is a critical health problem for the reason that it’s a severe health issue, increased death risk, and associated social, psychological and economic costs goes with being obese. Globally obesity has doubled since 1980, 1.9 billion adults are overweight, out that 600 million adults are obese as of 2014 (Obesity and overweight, 2014). The past decade has seen a surge in the number of weight loss or Bariatric surgery done. The use of weight loss surgery is considered to be the most efficient way to treat obesity
Benefits and complication results of any bariatric surgeries vary drastically; and the most significant factor in success is the patients’ compliance with the new lifestyle demands that these surgeries require. For the student make the assertion that the benefits outweigh the risk is a bit presumptive; each and every patient has the singular right to declare that for themselves without influence in either direction after they have been educated regarding these surgeries.
There are several types of weight loss surgeries, but there are two types that are well known and most chosen. These two most chosen surgeries are Gastric Bypass
Heitkempe, Margaret M., Sharon L. Et Al Lewis, Shannon Dirkson, Patricia O'Brien, and LInda Bucher. "Obesity." Medical- Surgical Nursing Assessment and Management of Clinical Problems. 7th ed. St. Louis, MO: Mosby, 2007. 971-87. Print.
... right time. It is understandable that many people who reach the obesity stage may well be too overweighed to lose it just through exercise and diet alone. If drastic measures, like for example having a bypass is going to change someone’s life for all the good reasons then there should be no opposition to that, having in mind that for all this treatments to work successfully the person should be treated as an individual alone.
Bariatrics is the branch of medicine that focuses on the causes, prevention, and treatment of obesity. Bariatric surgery is a specific discourse community connecting individuals through mutual interests, shared knowledge, and expertise of treating obese populations. The field of bariatrics is a discourse community with several purposes. It encourages innovative surgical and nonsurgical solutions in obesity care. It formulates hypotheses and develops and conducts experimental designs to test the hypotheses’ reliability and validity. Furthermore, it aims to stimulate discussion about its findings.