Thursday, June 18, 2009

Can Stomach Stapling Be Undone







New diets and weight-loss supplements seem to appear almost overnight these days. Although fad diets abound, there are many safe and effective diets that can help remove even the most stubborn pounds. However, when weight loss cannot be achieved through conservative means, stomach-stapling surgeries such as gastric bypass are often the last resort for morbidly obese patients. Most patients enjoy the effects of their surgery, but sometimes, people are not happy and want to have their stomach-stapling procedure undone. Understanding how gastric bypass works and why it's challenging to reverse can help people make more informed decisions regarding these procedures.


Stomach-stapling procedures work by dually restricting food intake and the absorption of nutrients from the small intestine. When the surgery is performed, a small pouch is created in the stomach, making it impossible for large amounts of food to be ingested. Also, a bypass is created, so that once the food leaves the pouch, it skips a major portion of the small intestine. By doing so, less of the food's content can be utilized by the body, helping to reduce calories and increase weight loss. However, some patients may suffer from chronic side-effects from stomach-stapling surgeries, like pain or malnutrition, or just not like how a gastric bypass procedure makes them feel, and wonder if it can be reversed.


Stomach-stapling surgeries can be reversed, in most cases. However, typically physicians recommend only people suffering from serious long-term issues attempt to have their stomach-stapling procedure reversed. The reversal surgery can actually cause more problems than the original surgery, and can involve an even longer recovery time. Also, any weight that was lost with the gastric bypass will most likely return once the surgery is reversed. Therefore, anyone considering a stomach-stapling surgery should think of it as permanent.

Tags: gastric bypass, have their, have their stomach-stapling, small intestine, stomach-stapling procedure