What can I do to reduce my risk? | These are the risks of a gastric bypass

What can I do to reduce my risk?

In order to reduce the risks of the surgical procedure, bed rest should be maintained after the operation to facilitate healing. Nutrition must also be strictly according to the doctor’s instructions, so that the intestine is not burdened too early by certain foods. In the long term, the diet must be adapted to the new anatomical conditions after the gastric bypass surgery in order to prevent possible risks.

It is important that the functions of the bypassed parts of the stomach are compensated by a more controlled food intake. The stomach passes food slowly and in portions to the small intestine. Since this function is no longer present, small portions must be eaten deliberately after the gastric bypass.

In addition, the diet must not contain too large amounts of sugar to prevent dumping syndrome. Even if complete digestion and absorption of proteins and vitamins is still possible, a diet rich in vitamins and proteins should be followed to counteract any deficiencies. Alcohol should be consumed with caution, as alcohol is absorbed into the blood much faster by bypassing the stomach. Abstaining from alcohol is not absolutely necessary but recommended.

Dumping Syndrome

The dumping syndrome is a relatively rare but very typical complication of a gastric bypass surgery. A distinction is made between early and late dumping syndrome, both forms of which can be life-threatening. The problem is that the gastric passage after the bypass surgery is too fast.

The undigested food pulp thus reaches the small intestine in an undigested state and too quickly, which can lead to different interactions with the blood in the intestinal wall. Highly sugary foods have the effect that they bind large amounts of water and thus draw fluid from the blood vessels into the bowel. The small intestine expands greatly in the process and such strong water retention in the intestinal lumen can occur that much of the fluid in the blood is lost here.

The body cannot immediately compensate for the lack of blood volume, which can lead to shock symptoms such as a drop in blood pressure, palpitations and fainting. This process is called early dumping syndrome. Due to the large amounts of sugar in the small intestine, the blood sugar level can also rise enormously after some time, which can also result in fainting, shock, nausea and other complaints. This describes the late dumping syndrome.