Mini Gastric Bypass Surgery

*This surgery is not recommended for all patients.

The procedure

The mini gastric bypass surgery was originally developed by Dr. Robert Rutledge in 1997 and has been adapted and modernized by Mexican doctors who do surgery south of the US border. While traditional gastric bypass surgery results in excellent weight loss, the mini gastric bypass procedure is technically less challenging than the RNY and carries a lower percentage of complication risk. At Weight Loss Team the Mini Bypass is recommended for certain patients who want or need more weight loss than a gastric sleeve can provide yet do not require a full gastric bypass for their weight loss results. Some patients are much better off considering having the RNY Gastric Bypass surgery if they have to lose 150 pounds or more, however, if you need to lose 100 pounds, the mini gastric bypass may just be for you.

The mini-bypass can be more effective than a gastric sleeve and less effective than a gastric bypass and as a go-between intermediate option for weight loss, and the Bariatric Surgeons at Weight Loss Team recommend you consider the Mini Gastric Bypass surgery if this is what you need. This surgery typically takes a little more than an hour to perform so there are fewer risks of complications than a full Gastric Bypass RNY and on average about the same complication risks as a Gastric Sleeve.  If you have any questions please let us know and we will try our best to provide you with all the answers you may need.

The incisions

The patient should be BMI of 45 or less for this procedure.

ADVANTAGES & BENEFITS

1-2 HOURS

70% WEIGHT LOSS

1 YEAR TO REACH GOAL

This surgery takes 1 to 2 hours. The patient should lose up to 70% of their excess weight.  The surgery has a low complication rate similar to that of the Gastric Sleeve surgery.

*Notice the results may vary for each patient depending on many factors related to race, age, health, gender and whether or not the patient follows the doctor’s post-operative instructions.

As the name suggests, mini gastric bypass surgery makes people think it is a simplified form of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RNY) unfortunately that is not the case, in reality, it is a combination of a gastric sleeve and a bypass with the main benefit being that there is only one connection with the intestine instead of multiple connections that you have with the RNY. (see the image above)

Even though MGBP sounds like an obvious choice between the two procedures, there are a few significant reasons why this might not always be the case.

1. Mini gastric bypass usually bypasses much less of the intestine than a standard gastric bypass which could lead to slower and less significant weight loss or even possible weight regain.
2. Unlike gastric bypass surgery, digestive enzymes and bile are not diverted away from the stomach after mini gastric bypass. This can lead to bile reflux gastritis which can cause pain that is difficult to treat. Bile reflux gastritis may also increase the risk of cancer in the stomach pouch.
3. Because of the reasons above, experienced surgeons typically offer the mini gastric bypass when the patient has more weight than can be lost with the gastric sleeve and yet does not have enough weight to lose where the patient would require an actual gastric bypass.

The Bariatric Surgeons at Weight Loss Team perform the Mini Gastric Bypass surgery here in Puerto Vallarta at the CMQ family of hospitals.  Please contact us if you have any questions or if you want to see if you are a candidate for the Mini Gastric Bypass procedure.

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