Morbidly obese patients, those who are 100 pounds or more above their ideal body weight, are at risk of serious health problems. With certain other qualifications, patients may be eligible for gastric bypass, thereby insuring sustained weight loss, prevention and reversal of further health problems. Gastric bypass surgery is a procedure that involves stapling the stomach into a small pouch and bypassing the body of the stomach by bringing a branched piece of the small intestine up to the pouch. M.D. For the first six weeks after surgery, their diet is pureed and has the consistency of baby food.
Patients are free to eat anything they want, so long as it is in that consistency.
After six weeks the patients graduate up to eating regular food, just in small quantities, Byrne said. The surgery also helps patients refrain from eating certain types of foods, like candy and sweets. High amounts of sugars may cause a patient to feel weak, sweaty and their heart races, much like a hypoglycemic attack, Byrne said. This is called the dumping syndrome. The main risks associated with gastric bypass are predominantly the surgery itself and the nutritional risk, although the latter is not usually severe, according to Byrne.