Intestinal bypass

Intestinal bypass is a bariatric surgery performed on patients with morbid obesity to create an irreversible weight loss, when implementing harsh restrictions on the diets have failed.

[2] Significant weight loss was observed in patients, but this surgery also resulted in several complications, for instance, nutritional deficiencies and metabolic problems.

The surgery, nevertheless, turned out to be a huge failure as patients suffered from severe electrolyte imbalance and metabolic disturbance after it.

However, owing to the possibility of reflux of ileal content to the blind loop, some surgeons doubted the effectiveness of this surgery.

Some surgeons regarded this as a better option than end-to-side jejunoileal bypass because it prevented the reflux of ileal content to the blind loop.

[5] However, two studies revealed that both end-to-side and end-to-end jejunoileal bypass had similar weight loss effect.

By bypassing a considerable length of the small intestines, this type of surgery greatly reduces the absorption capacity of the digestive system.

Not only does it reduce the length of the small intestine for absorption, but it also drains the bile and digestive enzymes only to the distal ileum.

[5] Draining them to only the distal ileum further reduces the efficiency of intestinal absorption, hence achieving the goal of weight reduction.

The following are the normal selection criteria:[2] This surgery serves as the LAST approach to lose weight when all other weight-losing methods have failed and at the same time, morbid obesity remains a life-threatening problem.

[2] It is crucial for patients to understand all the pros and cons of this surgery, despite the weight loss they aimed for.

[7] Patients may suffer from persisted problems of producing flatus with foul-smell due to the accumulation of gas in the gastrointestinal tract.

Chronic diarrhoea is a common and frequent complication, and further leading to higher risk of proctologic diseases such as haemorrhoids.

[2] Hepatic damage results from the inadequacy in nutritional supply and steatosis, where it remains as the most serious, and possibly lethal, side effect.

[5] By applying amino acid replacement orally right after the surgery, prevention of these liver problems may be achieved.

Gastric bypass leads to weight loss by controlling the appetite of the patients, instead of inducing malabsorption.