Mini Gastric Bypass Perth
Geoff had a mini gastric bypass as a follow-up surgery
Mini Gastric
bypass
Expected excess weight loss:
80% Excess Weight LossAverage procedure time:
2 hoursAverage recovery time:
3 weeksMini-gastric bypass
Mini-gastric bypass (Mini-GB)
The mini-gastric bypass (Mini-GB) was developed by an American weight loss surgeon and has been around since the 1970s. The original mini-gastric bypass had complications, such as the high prevalence of reflux (GORD). For this reason, it was never really embraced as a suitable option in the obesity surgery market.
More recently, the operation was developed to incorporate a long tubular (sleeve-like) pouch in the bypass. This adaption of the original procedure has lowered the risk of complications and increased the popularity of this weight loss surgery.
There has been a significant reduction in the incidence of reflux occurring post-surgery, so the pros and cons are now more balanced than in the past.
What is a Mini-GB?
The “mini” part of Mini-GB stands for “minimally invasive”, not for “mini operation” as many believe. When this obesity surgery was first described, the idea was that the bariatric surgeon would make only a very small incision and the patient’s recovery would be faster.
The procedure now involves having your stomach made into a small sleeve about two-thirds the size of a normal sleeve. This sleeve is then divided, leaving the top two thirds only as a reservoir. This mini-sleeve is called “the pouch”. The bypassed portion of the stomach is sealed off using surgical staples but is retained, meaning it is generally not surgically removed.
The small bowel is measured and the pouch is surgically attached approximately 200 cm along the length via an anastomosis (surgical join). The bypassed portion of the small bowel, together with the bypassed portion of the stomach, produce the digestive enzymes that are normally found in the duodenum. These are essential for food digestion and mix with the food from the pouch once it enters the small intestine.
What other names are frequently used by both by surgeons and patients when referring to the Mini-GB?
- Single Anastomosis Gastric Bypass (SAGB)
- Omega Loop Gastric Bypass (OLGB)
- One Anastomosis Gastric Bypass (OAGB)
Can I have a Mini-GB after a sleeve gastrectomy?
You may be considering a mini bypass after a sleeve gastrectomy has not been as effective as you would like. You may not have achieved a healthy weight, or have plateaued in trying to lose weight.
As a second bariatric surgery, Mini-GB is an excellent option for revision of your gastric sleeve. It has a good weight loss profile with much less of the diarrhoea usually experienced following a SADI procedure. It is also good (but not great) for reflux or control of your gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).
Complications arising from a Mini gastric bypass
Short term
Leaks can occur after a Mini-GB from the sites where the surgical staples were applied or the site of the anastomosis. This particular type of complication has the potential to be nasty, leading to serious health concerns. Leaks must be dealt with quickly. The anastomosis has a lot of digestive enzymes that go past it, and if these enzymes leak outside of the bowel they can cause terrible problems.
If there is a leak your surgeon will want to convert you quickly to a RNY Gastric Bypass. This configuration allows the digestive juices to flow away from the leak.
Long term
Vitamin deficiency. The Mini Gastric Bypass has more malabsorption than a Mini-GB and as such patients who have the Mini-GB procedure are more prone to nutrient malabsorption leading to vitamin deficiency. Vitamins must be taken and follow up blood tests are essential.Do you have questions?
We know that entering into an operation is a big deal and we are serious in getting the best outcome for you, all of our patients, and everyone we come in to contact with. We practice what is considered to be a world-class standard. Our staff regularly attend national and international conferences and bring back the latest in expert research and technology.
At our Perth clinic, we are specialised in bariatric surgery and ready to answer every question you have.
About Obesity Surgery WA: Our 6 commitments
Taking surgery seriously
We know that entering into an operation is a big deal and we are very serious in getting the best outcome for you. We practice what is considered to be a world class standard. Our staff regularly attend national and international conferences and bring back what is the latest research and technology.Running on time
Our Surgeons and all of our staff try their best to run on time. Although it's not always possible, our commitment is that we do our best. Your time is valuable and we respect that.Readily available
Our surgeons (or at least one of them) are always available in a crisis. Some of them may provide you with a direct contact, but all are available through the hospital switchboard and happy to chat any time if there is a crisis.An obsessive attention to detail
We do our best to not miss anything. Every stitch, every staple and every clip is applied to exactly where it needs to be with the greatest care possible.Commitment to performing the best operation possible
Not all operations are the same and there a few extras that we do to make things better. We know that our results are better with the minimiser ring so we offer it to everyone. We know that reflux can be an issue so we try to tighten every oesophageal hiatus to make reflux control as good as possibly can be.A commitment to new technologies
- We have brought in STRETTA into Western Australia, which we believe will revolutionise reflux management. (Have a look at the Stretta page for more information).
- SJOG Murdoch has just purchased a new DaVinci robot and we believe that this will allow us to do operations with keyhole surgery that previously needed a major laparotomy incision. Lynx is on the horizon and promises to also help manage reflux, we hope to have access to this in early 2020.
Useful links
Weight loss
surgery
Gastric
bypass
Obesity
Meet our team
Dr. Harsha Chandraratna
Consultant Surgeon
MBBS FRACS
Dr. Bill Gong
General and Laparoscopic Surgeon
MBBS FRACS