Considering a stomach stapling procedure?

Some factors to keep in mind

  A couple different options are available. The aim of the procedures is to produce a very small stomach, somewhere in the range of one and a half to two ounces, with a small exit outlet from the stomach. The hope is that patients will become full and satisfied from eating a small amount of food.

  Depending on how the procedure is done, the food may go on its normal path to the upper intestine or bypass a short portion of it. The most common surgeries performed are called vertical banded gastroplasty and gastric bypass.

  Vertical banded gastroplasty: Staples and a mesh band are used to section off a small new stomach that will hold about two ounces of food. This procedure maintains the normal passage of food: esophagus to stomach to upper small intestine without bypassing any part of the intestine. The digestive juices from the stomach, liver, pancreas and gallbladder continue to function normally, and there is no diarrhea or malabsorption. Long-term, there is more of a chance of weight gain sue to stomach stretching.

  The Roux-en-Y (pronounced roo-en-why) gastric bypass: This is done by stapling the upper portion of the stomach close to where the esophagus empties food into the stomach. This creates a small pouch to hold about two ounces of food.

  Next, a Y-shaped section of the small intestine is stapled and sutured to the new small stomach to allow food to bypass the duodenum (the tube that connects the stomach and the small intestine) and the jejunum (the second segment of the small intestine.)

  Because most calories are absorbed by the small intestine, fewer calories are converted into fat. Unfortunately, this also means fewer nutrients are absorbed also, so gastric bypass patients must take vitamins and minerals daily.

  Information provided by the Loyola Medical Center's Department of Surgery Numbers rising

  The American Society for Bariatric Surgery estimates the number of stomach stapling procedures performed:

  1999: 28,800.

  2000: 36,700.

  2001: 47,200.

  2002:: 62,400