Michael Wood, M.D., and James Sapala, M.D., from the St. John Detroit Riverview Hospital, developed this new procedure called the micro- pouch. Approximately 30 percent of patients who have traditional gastric bypass procedures must have the surgery redone due to stretching and tears to the stomach. So far, the micro-pouch surgery has been performed on over 1,100 patients and none have had to have the surgery redone. In the micro-pouch procedure, the top portion of the stomach is stapled and divided, which creates a small pouch about the size of a grape. The small intestine is then dissected and connected to the upper portion of the stomach.
Food passes from the upper stomach into the small intestine.
This reduces the stomach capacity by more than 95 percent, which enables patients to lose an average of 11 pounds a month. Because refined sugar is normally digested in the stomach, patients who receive the micro-pouch procedure can no longer tolerate these products. If patients choose to eat sugar, the substance will go directly into the intestine, causing the pancreas to produce more insulin. The patient will then most likely experience nausea, cold sweats, palpitations and diarrhea. Also, because the micro-pouch is so small, patients are forced to eat smaller portions of food more frequently.