Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Why is "unused" stomach and small intestines left in, in gastric bypass



Recommended Posts

I asked this question from my surgeon and got no answer so I am asking again: why is it that the "left over part of your stomach in removed in gastric sleeve but the same exact part is left in your body when it is is not used for anything in gastric bypass? The same goes with the part of the small intestines that are no longer used. Why is it left in the body? Doesn't it carry a risk for infection when we leave in our body something that is not used for anything in our body? What if there are still some food particles in the part f the intestine that is left there?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm not sure about the intestines, but my doc said the stomach juices will help with digestion. Good point though, I'm going to ask again when I see him next month.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

From my understanding, gastric bypass surgery is reversible. Therefore the unused part of the stomach can be reattached to the small pouch and you can be made whole again. Also the unused part of the stomach produces hormones that the body uses and that is why it is left there.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

According to my knowledge this surgery cannot be reversed. ALso, most of the hormones in this unused area are there to make you feel hungrier, so I can certainly live without them. If they were that significant, then why would they remove this section is sleeve. So confused..

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

According to my knowledge this surgery cannot be reversed. ALso, most of the hormones in this unused area are there to make you feel hungrier, so I can certainly live without them. If they were that significant, then why would they remove this section is sleeve. So confused..

Gastric bypass is reversible the sleeve is not.

Sent from my HTC Desire 530 using BariatricPal mobile app

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

According to my knowledge this surgery cannot be reversed. ALso, most of the hormones in this unused area are there to make you feel hungrier, so I can certainly live without them. If they were that significant, then why would they remove this section is sleeve. So confused..

Coming from someone who has the bypass and during my regret staged looked into getting a reversal lol

Sent from my HTC Desire 530 using BariatricPal mobile app

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

According to the references I found, gastric bypass can be reversed for medical reasons alone and even in those cases the risks are very high. See e.g.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2010/02/can_bariatric_surgery_be_reversed.html

Thus, I believe that the doctors don't leave the unused parts there for the possibility of reversing it. The reasons must be something else. Those of you who are still planning, please ask your docs, I would really love to know.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The unused part of the stomach still produces acid and stuff to help digest food. It reconnects down lower in your intestines to help digest the food that goes through your pouch. And like others said, it still produces hormones, though I'm not sure that's the main reason it's left. I think it's there to improve digestion, since your pouch alone doesn't make enough acid to do the job. That's the way my surgeon explained it, at least.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hmm that makes sense although it still makes me wonder why is removed in sleeve then..

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, jhope71 said:

The unused part of the stomach still produces acid and stuff to help digest food. It reconnects down lower in your intestines to help digest the food that goes through your pouch. And like others said, it still produces hormones, though I'm not sure that's the main reason it's left. I think it's there to improve digestion, since your pouch alone doesn't make enough acid to do the job. That's the way my surgeon explained it, at least.

This is also the way it was explained to me.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, Katariina said:

Hmm that makes sense although it still makes me wonder why is removed in sleeve then..

In the sleeve, part of your stomach is cut off and removed.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I don't know why...good question. I specifically went for the sleeve because it did remove part of the stomach and left the rest in tact. I can get an endoscopy and still get everything checked. My gastroenterologist said that with the bypass they may have to do a surgery to go in and look at the remaining stomach etc...if there were any concerns about cancer etc... That convinced me that sleeve was the way to go.

Sent from my SM-G920V using BariatricPal mobile app

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I don't know why...good question. I specifically went for the sleeve because it did remove part of the stomach and left the rest in tact. I can get an endoscopy and still get everything checked. My gastroenterologist said that with the bypass they may have to do a surgery to go in and look at the remaining stomach etc...if there were any concerns about cancer etc... That convinced me that sleeve was the way to go.

Sent from my SM-G920V using BariatricPal mobile app




You can still have an endoscopy with a bypass. I've just had one myself [emoji16]


Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

With the bypass you can a feeding tube places in the “old” stomach if you ever need urgent support with eating issues. With the sleeve you have enough stomach left they can use a regular feeding tube.


Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, redhead86 said:


You can still have an endoscopy with a bypass. I've just had one myself

Yes but it's different with the bypass your anatomy is reconfigured so it's not in a natural state. Meaning if you had complications down the road and went to someone who wasn't a bariatric surgeon (or your surgeon even) they could easily get confused and end up looking in the new stomach or remnant of the old. That's why ulcers are incredibly dangerous in bypass patients, as they can be difficult to find and identify, and could lead to major complications (which I've personally seen before).

With the sleeve all of the anatomy is left intact in its natural state, just the stomach is reduced

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×