GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY

Gastric bypass surgery is performed to help patients lose weight by reducing the size of the stomach. The procedure is necessary to treat patients for whom non-surgical weight loss measures, such as dietary changes and physical activity, have not been effective.

The surgery is usually performed only on patients who are severely overweight and have a BMI (body mass index) greater than 40. Gastric bypass surgery also can be performed on patients who have a BMI of 35-40 and suffer from conditions that, in combination with obesity, significantly affect their health, such as diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension, or osteoarthritis.

The most commonly performed method is Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, in which part of the stomach is closed with staples to use only a small pouch of the stomach. This pouch is then surgically connected to the small intestine. This significantly limits the amount of food that can be consumed at a meal and reduces the absorption of calories and nutrients, which quickly translates into significant weight loss.

Who Is Gastric Bypass Surgery Suitable For?

Gastric bypass surgery is recommended for patients who have a BMI of 40 or higher and have not lost weight through dietary changes or exercise. However, gastric bypass is also suitable for patients with a BMI of 35-40 who also suffer from health problems such as diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension or osteoarthritis.  Gastric bypass is particularly suitable to help patients lose weight. Despite all the risks associated with the surgery, gastric bypass surgery is especially recommended in cases of particular obesity.

It is not recommended in cases of inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (e.g. Crohn’s disease), cirrhosis, portal hypertension, esophageal or gastric varices, congenital abnormalities of the digestive tract (e.g. esophageal-stomach, duodenal, situs), severe eating disorders, alcoholism or drug addiction, pregnancy, autoimmune diseases, the use of immunosuppressive drugs.

Time Required

Patients spend about 2-3 days as inpatients at our clinic. However, before you can make a return trip, you should plan to stay in Turkey for about 1 week.

Before the Gastric Bypass Surgery

The procedure may not be suitable for all patients. For this reason, a series of examinations and tests must be performed and adherence to the guidelines for surgery is required to determine whether or not the procedure is suitable for the patient.

In preparation for surgery, patients must adhere to a special diet plan and the consulting physician may order the discontinuation of permanent medications that could affect the surgery.

Patients undergoing this procedure must be adequately prepared by making dietary and lifestyle changes and engaging in physical activity to further enhance the success of the surgery. An individualized exercise program will be put together and patients will be asked to stop smoking some time before the procedure.

Obtaining a second opinion is especially advisable for patients with complex health problems. This allows an experienced expert to take a second look at the patient’s medical history, symptoms, images, test results and other information and possibly recommend different or additional treatment. For such a second opinion, please feel free to schedule a consultation with our experienced medical team.

How Is the Treatment Carried Out?

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is the best known method of gastric bypass surgery. It involves adjusting the size of the stomach so that only a small part of the stomach functions. This new, smaller stomach has significantly less volume than before. The stomach is readapted by turning it into a small pouch and connecting it directly to the small intestine. In this way, the rest of the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine can be bypassed.

Gastric bypass surgery is performed under general anesthesia and is traditionally performed as an open surgical procedure. However, the procedure is increasingly being performed laparoscopically. This involves inserting a surgical telescope through a few small incisions. The procedure is assisted by a camera and many surgical instruments. Laparoscopic surgery is less invasive than open surgery and recovery times are shorter in comparison.

Treatment time: the treatment time of gastric bypass surgery is between 2 and 4 hours.

After the Gastric Bypass Surgery

It is normal to experience pain at the surgical site for a few days. Patients may suffer from nausea and they must follow a special diet plan immediately after surgery. Usually, patients stay in the hospital for 2 to 3 days.

Possible Risks

Possible risks include ulceration, adverse reaction to anesthesia, gastritis, malnutrition, bleeding, infection, digestive problems, damage to internal organs, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

Cost of Gastric Bypass Surgery in Istanbul

The price of gastric bypass surgery in our clinic in Istanbul varies from 3,600 euros to 4,600 euros with an average price of 3,900 euros.

We will be happy to assist you in finding the right treatment method. For all questions regarding the costs of gastric bypass surgery in Turkey, our Care Team is always the right contact. We will be happy to provide you with a free, non-binding offer. Take the first step!