What is gastric bypass?

A gastric bypass, also known as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), is a weight loss surgery that involves creating a small stomach pouch and rerouting the small intestine to this new pouch. This effectively reduces the amount of food the stomach can hold and limits the absorption of calories. During the surgery, the surgeon divides the stomach into a small upper pouch and a larger lower pouch. The small intestine is then divided and reattached to the small upper pouch, bypassing the larger lower pouch. This means that food consumed will bypass the majority of the stomach and the first section of the small intestine, reducing the amount of calories and nutrients the body absorbs. This procedure is considered to be more invasive than sleeve gastrectomy, and recovery time is longer. Gastric bypass is a more complex surgery and carries more risks than sleeve gastrectomy, but it also tends to result in more significant weight loss.