Duodenal Switch Weight Loss Surgery
The duodenal switch weight loss surgery is an exciting new option for bariatric surgery. It’s a type of bypass surgery, but with a twist of sorts. But the twist makes all the difference.
What Makes Duodenal Switch Surgery Different?
Your post-surgery diet is one difference. For example, you don’t have the same kind of food restriction as vertical sleeve gastrectomy or laparoscopic band. Better yet, you don’t have the (sometimes severe) side effects of bariatric gastric bypass surgery.
Why? It’s because duodenal switch (DS) weight loss surgery is a combination of a restrictive (VSG) and malabsorptive (bypass) surgery. And because it uses two different kinds of surgery, DS weight loss tends to be faster.
Restriction: Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG)
The restriction part of the dueodenal switch surgery is due to the vertical sleeve gastrectomy that occurs as part of the switch. Basically, most of your stomach is removed. Not stapled — entirely removed.
Because your stomach is smaller, not as much food fits in it. This restricts the amount of food you can eat at any given meal.
Bypass: The “Switch” Part
What happens with the duodenal switch is that it connects the new, smaller stomach to the final eight feet of the small intestines. This is the bypass part, because by bypassing most of the small intestines, your body takes in fewer calories.
But before you get too excited, there is a downside. The same process that lets your body absorb fewer calories also interferes with the uptake of vitamins and minterals. This means that instead of blowing off taking your vitamin supplements, you need to take them every day or suffer the consequences. Which can be devastating, depending on the vitamin.
Duodenal Switch Weight Loss Surgery Results
The duodenal switch weight loss surgery has shown some interesting short term results. In fact, so far it’s had the best weight loss and weight maintenance of any of the kinds of bariatric surgery. But there’s something you still need to think about.
Seeing as this is a pretty new weight loss surgery, aren’t any long term study results yet. However, based on the existing information, it seems that DS results in a more permanent weight loss than the other bariatric surgeries.
Thoughts to Consider
The surgery is a permanent surgery; it is not reversible. Very carefully think about this, because once you have the surgery, you have it for life.
Duodenal switch weight loss surgery is not a magic bullet, though. DS surgery is a great tool for losing the weight permanently, but it still requires effort on your part.
You have to commit to a lifestyle change in order for the weight loss to be permanent. That means you can’t constantly overeat; no skipping your exercising either.
Duodenal Switch Video
This is about the best short YouTube video I’ve seen that shows/describes what happens in a duodenal switch surgery — it shows what’s removed, and where the bypass happens.