Gastric Bypass

Gastric bypass (Roux-en-Y) creates a small stomach pouch and reroutes a section of the small intestine to it, so less food is eaten and fewer calories and nutrients are absorbed. It is usually performed laparoscopically with a hospital stay of two to three nights, and it requires lifelong vitamin supplementation.

It is typically considered in the same weight range as the sleeve, and is often discussed where severe reflux or type 2 diabetes is part of the picture, since bypass tends to help both. It is a more complex operation than the sleeve, which is part of the surgeon’s assessment.

Useful questions for a provider: why bypass rather than sleeve in your case, their annual volume for this operation, the hospital and its backup arrangements, the supplement and blood-test schedule for the first years, and how they manage follow-up for patients who live abroad.