Introduction to Gastric Bypass Surgery
Gastric bypass is one of the most common types of weight loss or bariatric surgery. It is done when diet and exercise haven’t worked, and patients are at a medically risky level of weight. During gastric bypass surgery, your physician makes changes to your stomach and small intestine to change the way they absorb and digest food. The procedure limits the amount of food that your stomach can hold, reducing the amount of calories that are absorbed into the body. It also manipulates your gut hormones to suppress appetite, making you feel full longer and thereby causing weight loss.
What is Gastric Bypass Surgery?
Gastric Bypass Surgery is a two-step laparoscopic procedure in which your surgeon makes changes to your stomach and small intestine to change the way they absorb and digest food. The surgery creates a smaller pouch from the existing stomach and connects it directly to the small intestine so that food bypasses the old stomach and the first part of the small intestine. The idea is to create the feeling of being full faster and to reduce the area of reabsorption of food back into the body by bypassing a section of the small intestine. This, over time, would lead to less food intake and ultimately, weight loss.
What’s The First Step?
Gastric Bypass Surgery Consultation
The first step in getting a Gastric Bypass Surgery in Las Vegas is scheduling a consultation with one of our expert surgeons who deals with this area of specialty. Your surgeon will discuss your medical condition, history of surgeries as well as any pre-existing health issues that might intervene in the process of surgery and recovery. He will then examine you to discuss the best techniques for your surgery.
At the end of the consultation, your surgeon will give you a surgical plan which you can then take to our patient coordinator to price out, schedule your surgery as well, and give you any pre-operative instructions.
What to Expect on the Day of Gastric Bypass Surgery
On the day of your Gastric Bypass Surgery, your surgeon and their medical staff will welcome you to Las Vegas Surgical Associates, making you comfortable in your procedure room and going over your surgical plan. Once you sign off, an anesthetist will administer anesthesia to keep you sedated and pain-free during the procedure.
Most gastric bypass surgeries done now are laparoscopic, though, it depends on your choice and the practice of the surgeon you choose. Some surgeons still do a direct incision on the abdomen. Either way, once the surgeon has access to the stomach, they cut the top of the stomach and tie it into a pouch separate from the rest of the organ. The new stomach is about the size of an egg and can hold only an ounce of food compared to the normal three-pint volume of an average-sized stomach.
After this, the surgeon extracts a piece of the small intestine further down and attaches it to the new pouch so that food bypasses most of your stomach and the first section of your small intestine, and instead enters directly into this middle part of your small intestine.
Gastric Bypass Surgery usually takes two to four hours if there are no complications.
Gastric Bypass Surgery Recovery
After surgery, your surgeon will monitor you in a recovery room to make sure that you come out of sedation and are fully back in consciousness. We recommend you have family or a friend drive you to be extra safe.
During the first month post-surgery, you will be mostly on a liquid and soft food diet where you will feel full very quickly. Your surgeon will recommend nutritional supplements to make sure you are getting all the needed nutrients. With time, you will be able to start eating solid foods but very little.
In the first two years, you can expect to lose one-half to two-thirds of your excess body weight. Weight loss will continue, in most cases, for a year and a half before stabilizing. Due to the sudden weight loss, be on the lookout for side effects such as fatigue, dry skin, mood changes, hair loss, and just a general immunity drop.
How much does it cost?
Gastric Bypass Surgery Surgery Cost and Insurance Information
The cost of Gastric Bypass Surgery in Las Vegas will depend on various factors including the complexity of your case, your surgeon’s fees, and the anesthetist’s fees. The most efficient way to arrive at a cost is to schedule a consultation with one of our providers who can give you a surgical plan that can then be priced out.
Most medical insurance policies will cover surgery for gastric bypass surgery, but we encourage you to check in with your insurer first. While you will have more information to provide your insurance company after your consultation, it’s always a good idea to come in with as much information as possible so that there are no surprises.
Why Choose Las Vegas Surgical Associates?
Las Vegas Surgical Associates should be one of your first choices for a Gastric Bypass Surgery. It is a multi-specialty surgical group that is unique to the Las Vegas area in being able to offer services across a broad range of surgical specialties with a collective of highly qualified surgeons.
LVSA is a group practice and one of our physicians is always on call and can answer questions or take care of acute surgical emergencies when they arise. Collectively, our surgeons have affiliations with numerous medical-certifying groups, including the American Board of Surgery (ABS), the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), the Society of Laparoscopic Surgery (SLS), the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), and the American College of Surgeons (FACS). Each member of our team, from our highly skilled surgeons and experienced medical staff to our dedicated providers, all work collaboratively to ensure each patient receives personalized attention and the highest quality of care. By choosing us, patients in Las Vegas can trust that they are in capable hands and on the path to achieving their health goals and weight loss needs.
We welcome your patient referrals. You may refer your patients to a specific surgeon in our group by name or simply refer them to LVSA and we will make sure they see the appropriate physician according to their need. We strive to make sure your visit with us is pleasant and efficient.
Gastric Bypass Surgery FAQ’S
Schedule a Consultation
If you have been struggling with weight loss, and have tried all sorts of diets and exercise regimens, it might be time to look into a Gastric Bypass Surgery. Please get in touch with Las Vegas Surgical Associates in Las Vegas, NV, and schedule a consultation at your earliest. You can do so by calling our office at (702) 258-7788 or visiting our website and filling out an online application form.