Gastric Bypass Surgery Beverly Hills, CA

Gastric Bypass is a well-known procedure and is popular due to the following reasons:

• Allows much faster weight loss compared to the lap band method. 
• Causes no breaking or erosion of anything inside the patient’s body.
• Due to hormonal changes, the drive to eat more decreases. 
• Gastric Bypass has a successful history of more than 40 years.
• The surgery is minimally invasive and is considered the gold standard.
• The surgery is carried out laparoscopically and reduces overall body weight by 70% within seven to ten years. 

Fortunately, a more advanced weight loss method is now available. Experienced surgeons like Dr. Michael Feiz, M.D., F.A.C.S, suggest people opt for a Sleeve Gastrectomy rather than a Gastric Bypass. 

Let’s review how both these procedures work:

Gastric Bypass surgery is performed laparoscopically. The doctor uses a miniature camera to ensure that only a tiny amount of tissue is focused. This insertion of a camera allows for increased precision during the procedure. Moreover, laparoscopic surgery requires a shorter recovery time for the patient.  

When carrying out the gastric bypass surgical procedure, doctors divide the patient’s stomach utilizing a surgical stapler. This creates a small pouch from the stomach, which then acts as a new stomach for the patient. 

After dividing the stomach, the doctors also separate the patient’s small bowel and connect it to the newly formed stomach. 

Gastric Bypass: The Disadvantages

• This process alters the digestive tract radically, making it difficult to get all the necessary nutrients. 
• Patients are required to take supplements and often report difficulties adjusting to the new lifestyle after the procedure. 
• For those who have undergone gastric bypass surgery, high carbohydrate intake can be hazardous. In some cases, this may result in dumping syndrome. 

Sleeve Gastrectomy: How It Works

Sleeve gastrectomy is proven to be an effective weight-loss method. The procedure is performed laparoscopically. The doctors remove about 75-80% of the patient’s stomach, giving it a sleeve-like structure. Apart from the stomach, the remaining digestive system remains intact.

Although the procedure makes it difficult for the patient to overeat physically, the desire to overeat is also minimized. 

Sleeve Gastrectomy: The Advantage

This process involves removing the organ responsible for the production of ghrelin, or the hunger hormone that creates the desire to eat. 

In obese people, the production of this hormone is above average, increasing the tendency to overeat.

Furthermore, when trying to lose weight, the production of this hormone only increases as the body attempts to maintain its original weight. 

With the sleeve gastrectomy, patients may eat normally without feeling abnormally hungry.

Eligibility Criteria For Bariatric Surgery:

The qualifying criteria for bariatric surgery are as follows:

A person needs to have an overall body mass index (BMI) of more than 40. 

Individuals with a body mass index between 30-40 may also be considered eligible provided they suffer from obesity-related conditions, such as: 

• Sleep apnea
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol 

Pre Surgery Dietary Plan:

Weight loss doctors in Los Angeles advise the patients to follow a strict diet before the surgery. 

Their diet must consist of protein shakes and liquids. This helps them to lose weight and leaves their body in ketosis. 

Ketosis is a state where the body utilizes the stored fats to generate energy, as the intake of carbohydrates is not there. 

This activity shrinks the liver’s size and leads toward a proper and safe surgical procedure. 

Post-Surgery Dietary Plan:

Two weeks after the gastric bypass procedure, patients are requested to follow a strict liquid diet. They can take three protein shakes per day and take clear liquids in between shakes.

The liquid diet is responsible for healing the internal tissue while providing the body with nutrition, thus preparing the body to intake food again. 

Dr. Feiz is an expert bariatric surgeon in Los Angeles who has performed various weight-loss surgeries. For more details, please give us a call or visit the contact page on our website.

Having a smaller stomach pouch makes the patient feel full while only intaking a small amount of food. 

Furthermore, as the food no longer travels through the entire intestinal tract, the person absorbs fewer calories.