Search the site for providers, locations, and content.
Main Menu
Treatment
Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass
Roux-En-Y Gastric BypassRoux-en-Y gastric bypass is surgery to help you lose weight. It does this in two ways. First, it makesyour stomach smaller.This helps you feel full sooner and eat less. Second, it changes the connection between yourstomach and the intestines. This prevents some of what you've eaten from being absorbed. Manypeople feel nervous or worried before having Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. And they maywonder what to expect.Here's some information that can help. First ... follow your care provider's instructions for how to getready for the surgery, including what you can eat or drink and which medicines to take.Before the surgery, you'll get medicine to make you sleep and keep you from feeling any pain. TheRoux-en-Y gastric bypass is most often done as a laparoscopic surgery.But it can also be done as an "open" surgery. Laparoscopic surgery is done through several smallcuts ... called incisions ... in your belly. Then the doctor puts special tools and a camera through theincisions.Open surgery is done through a large cut in your belly. During the surgery, the doctor separates theupper part of your stomach from the rest of your stomach to make a small pouch.This new pouch ... about the size of a small egg ...will hold the food you eat. Next, the doctor cuts themiddle part of the small intestine and connects it to the new stomach pouch, bypassing the rest of thestomach and the upper part of the small intestine.Then, this unused part of the stomach and small intestine are reconnected lower down. The fluidsfrom the unused part of your stomach will now drain into your small intestine.And the food you eat will now go from the small pouch into the middle part of your small intestine.Food will no longer go through the lower part of your stomach or the first part of your intestine.The doctor then closes the incisions and covers them with bandages. The surgery takes 2 to 3 hours.When you wake up, you may have some belly pain, and the area around the incisions may be tenderand sore.You'll get medicine to help ease the pain. After surgery, you'll probably be in the hospital for 2 or 3days. And when it's time to go home, you'll need someone to drive you. Now having surgery can be alittle stressful.But knowing what to expect and how to prepare can help. And remember, you can always call yourcare provider if you have questions or concerns.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.© The Wellness Network
Featured in
CalOptima Health works with thousands of Orange County providers, including doctors, specialists, health networks, medical groups and more.
Your health is everything to us. Please reach out for support if you need it.
Watch this video to learn what to expect during surgery to remove a section of the colon.
Watch this video to learn what gastric sleeve surgery is and what to expect during and after surgery.
Watch this video to learn how to prepare for a hemorrhoidectomy.
This video will help you to understand how and why surgeons remove a gallbladder.
