What happens during gastric bypass surgery?

Small incisions are made in the abdomen to place the camera inside the stomach. Your surgeon will fill the stomach with gas to make it easier to see and move the equipment around inside the stomach.

The stomach is cut in two and surgical staples are used to separate the two sections.
The smaller of the two sections becomes the functioning stomach and is able to hold one-two ounces of food.

Once surgeons have created the two pouches, the bowel needs to be connected to the smaller pouch, bypassing the now idle section of the patients’ stomach. 

The small intestine is divided, creating a Y shape. The lower part of the small intestine (the jejunum) is connected to the smaller stomach, providing a channel for food to leave the stomach and be digested. The two sections of the Y-shaped small intestine are joined to allow the unused portion of the stomach to drain fluids. 

The incisions are then sutred shut and drainage tubes are placed in the stomach. 

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