Obesity is a chronic health condition that affects millions of people in the US. An overweight person is at a higher risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, kidney failure, arthritis, and a myriad of related health conditions. With a high success rate, duodenal switch surgery is a favorable solution to drastic weight loss. When you’ve exhausted every weight loss alternative, surgical intervention may be your best bet at getting back to a healthy lifestyle. Clinical studies reveal that duodenal switch surgery helps to lose excessive weight within a year.In this article, we’ll cover some of the commonly asked questions regarding duodenal switch surgery.

What is a Duodenal Switch Surgery?

Also known as biliopancreatic diversion, duodenal switch surgery is a popular choice among surgeons in the USA. It is a weight loss operation that alters the stomach size, removes the gallbladder, and re-constructs the intestine. Because the size of the stomach is smaller post-surgery, the patient feels less hungry. The loss in appetite results in calorie deficiency, and enables the patient to lose a significant amount of body weight within 12 months to 18 months.

What is the Process of the Surgery?

Duodenal switch surgery involves the features of two surgical interventions, namely

1. Sleeve gastrectomy
2. Gastric bypass

Sleeve Gastrectomy

The initial step of the duodenal switch surgery involves sleeve gastrectomy. The stage eliminates around 75% to 80% of the patient’s stomach and changes the remaining portion into a tube. The small bowel connecting the stomach is known as duodenum, and it creates a bypass. Food passes from the sleeve of the initial portion small intestine without the surgery. During the surgery, the intestine is re-constructed, which reroutes the food to the lower portion of the small intestine.

Gastric Bypass

For the second part of the surgery, surgeons perform the bypass stage in multiple ways. If the surgeon favors an anastomosis switch, a considerable small intestine length is under bypass. It creates a single link between the sleeve’s bottom and the small bowel. Sometimes surgeons advise the duodenal switch surgery to perform in stages over 6 to 18 months.

Who are Ideal Candidates for Duodenal Switch Surgery?

Duodenal switch surgery is advisable for patients who are excessively overweight. Additionally, they face challenges in losing weight using a strict diet plan and regular workouts. If the BMI (Body Mass Index) is higher than 40, he is an ideal candidate for the surgical intervention. Some individuals don’t have high BMI but suffer from obesity-related health conditions. They have greater risks of heart attacks, kidney failure, and diabetes and are ideal candidates for the surgery.

Advantages of Duodenal Switch Surgery

One of the highlights of duodenal switch surgery is that it results in more weight loss than other bariatric surgical methods. Studies claim that most patients lose up to 75% to 80% of their excess body weight. The other advantages include:

• Decreases appetite and hunger
• Improves health conditions like Type II diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, joint and muscle pain
• The surgery is reversible if there are complications
• Improves the quality of life
• Minimally invasive surgical method
• Minimal loss of blood
• Less surgical scarring
• Less hospital stay and faster recovery time

Is Duodenal Switch Surgery Safe and Effective?

Several clinical studies show that duodenal switch surgery has more than 90% success rate. In comparison to other bariatric surgeries, duodenal switch results in long-term weight loss. When patients combine strict dietary changes and regular exercise, they are successful in managing obesity-related conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Clinical evidence shows that almost 80% of people with Type II diabetes discontinue their medications post-surgery.

Some people who fail to lose adequate weight via other bariatric surgeries consider a revision surgical intervention with a duodenal switch surgery. Obesity increases the risk of several health conditions and diseases. The surgical intervention reduces the possibility of developing hypertension, strokes, heart attacks, asthma, sleep apnea, diabetes, fatty liver, infertility, liver and colorectal cancer, and osteoarthritis.

Conclusion

Obesity is the leading cause of diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, kidney problems, and cardiovascular problems. When an individual struggles to maintain optimal BMI, he is an ideal candidate for duodenal switch surgery. Studies show that duodenal switch surgery is more effective than other bariatric surgeries. Post-surgery, patients have to change their lifestyle and food habits to experience long-term weight loss and improve health conditions.