According to the American Society for Bariatric Surgery and the National Institutes of Health, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is the current gold standard procedure for obesity surgery. It is one of the most common types of obesity surgery in the United States.
In this procedure, stapling creates a small (15 to 20cc) stomach pouch. The remainder of the stomach is not removed, but is completely stapled shut and divided from the stomach pouch. The outlet from this newly formed pouch empties directly into the lower portion of the jejunum, thus bypassing calorie absorption. This is done by dividing the small intestine just beyond the duodenum for the purpose of bringing it up and constructing a connection with the newly formed stomach pouch. The other end is connected into the side of the Roux limb of the intestine creating the "Y" shape that gives this obesity surgery technique its name. The length of either segment of the intestine can be increased to produce lower or higher levels of malabsorption.
Learn more about obesity surgery and additional General Surgery procedures at the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
One of the nation's preeminent academic medical centers, WFUBMC is an integrated health care system that operates 1,291 acute care, rehabilitation and long-term care beds, outpatient services, and community health and information centers. The Medical Center's component institutions carry out a joint mission of patient care, education, research and community service. The partnership includes three major members: Wake Forest University Health Sciences, North Carolina Baptist Hospital, and Wake Forest University Physicians.