Mini gastric bypass

Are you one of the many individuals planning to go for a weight loss surgery? Mini gastric bypass is one of the several surgical solutions. There are several options available when it comes to losing weight through a surgical procedure but of one of the most opted for procedures today is the mini gastric bypass surgery. Even few years back this kind of surgical procedure was strictly prescribed to the extremely obese people. Today, people are getting conscious and enrolling into different weight loss programs. You might be overweight and have the knowledge about the negative effects of obesity. But maybe you have some constraints which restrict you from physical exercises. In such a situation this surgery can be your solution.


What is a mini gastric bypass?

The Mini Gastric Bypass (MGB) is a short, simple and easily reversible Laparoscopic surgery that usually takes only 30 minutes and you will be discharged from hospital within 24 hours. It is a low risk surgery involving minimal pain when compared with other weight loss surgeries, with an outstanding long term weight loss. It reduces the size of your stomach and scaling down the amount of food you can intake at a time. This procedure was pioneered and developed by Dr. Robert Rutledge in 1997. It involves a long narrow tube of the stomach along its left border followed by a loop of the small gut that is brought up and hooked to this tube at about 180cms from the start of the intestine. This uses the low set loop reconstruction and even proposed as an alternative to the Roux en-Y or the gastric bypass. The surgery is becoming increasingly popular because of its simplicity and low risk of complications.

Gastric bypass versus mini gastric bypass:

Gastric bypass and mini gastric bypass are both surgical solutions for extremely obese people whose body mass index is greater than 40. These procedures reroutes your digestive system, thereby reducing the amount of food you can intake and the body can absorb. But there are certain differences between the two.

• The gastric bypass procedure involves multiple areas of your abdomen and is therefore a complex process. On the other hand the mini gastric bypass is a simple operation with the low set loop reconstruction.
• The mini gastric surgery takes hardly 30 minutes time while the gastric bypass involves longer duration.
• In the gastric bypass the bowel is cut in half and one to six feet of the bowel is bypassed. Whereas, in the mini gastric bypass, no cut in the bowel is involved and about six feet is bypassed.
• In the mini gastric bypass the stomach is connected to the side of the still fully-intact bowel while in the gastric bypass or the Roux en-Y, the stomach is reconnected to one end of the cut bowel.
• The mini gastric bypass patients can be discharged within 24 hours of the operation or within 2 days. Whereas, the patients who underwent the gastric bypass have a longer stay at hospital say about 4-8 days.
• The mini gastric bypass costs much cheaper than the gastric bypass.
• Gastric bypass mostly non-reversible but the mini gastric surgery is reversible.
• The gastric bypass is moderately effective with reasonable failure rate. On the other hand, the mini gastric surgery ensures better weight loss with comparatively low failure rate.
• The gastric bypass involves deficiency in mineral absorption and requiring long-term supplements. The mini gastric bypass on the other hand, involves lower risk of deficient absorption.

How much does the surgery cost?

Depending on whether you are an outpatient or an inpatient, the surgery cost will vary around $7,000 to $9,000. Thus it is 60% cheaper than the gastric bypass. Most of the insurance companies don’t cover the expenses for this surgery. No worries, bariatric financing is an alternative. It comes in different forms and it is possible if you have the following:

• Medical or Health Insurance Account (HSA)
• Health Reimbursement Account (HRA)
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Archer Medical Savings Account (MSA)
• Individual Retirement Account (IRA)

In spite of the available options, you still have to pay some of the expenses that are not covered by the financing. Today due to the increasing number of patients and popularity there are affordable packages available that enable people with obesity problems with the mini gastric bypass surgery. All you need to do is choose the package you can afford.

Complications and side effects of mini gastric bypass:

Even though mini gastric bypass sounds like an obvious choice for the weight loss, there are certain complications involved with this procedure. Studies have reports that complications generally occur in 7.5% of patients during and after the surgery whereas only 1.7% of patients require reversible surgery. Some of the common complications noticed are:

• Around 4.9% get affected with anemia.
• 5.6% of patients generally suffer from dyspepsia.
• Abdominal hernia.
• Postoperative bleeding.
• 3.9% suffer from Incisional hernia.
• Peritonitis
• Abscesses
• Esophagitis
• Gastrointestinal leak suffered by 1.08% patients.
• Bile reflux gastritis
• Ulcers
• Pneumonia
• Stenosis
• Wound sepsis
• Loose stool
• Constipation

These are some of the minor side effects that are normally noticed. With proper treatment and doctor’s advice, you can overcome all these complications and lead a normal and healthy lifestyle.

Almost all types of surgery have risks factors of some form or another and mini gastric bypass is no different. Because of the lack of research, there are speculations regarding its effectiveness. But the mini gastric surgery could prove to be an excellent option for fast weight loss. Investigate properly about the details and the side effects before you ready yourself for the operation theatre. Be very sure of choosing the surgeon with the right knowledge and experience. Your life will significantly change after the surgery and with proper care and medication you will overcome from the outcomes of the side effects if it affects you.



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