Duodenal Switch
The duodenal switch starts by creating a sleeve gastrectomy. This entails removing about 80% of your stomach. After that, part of your small bowel is bypassed. This means that some portion of the food you eat would not be absorbed.
The duodenal switch procedure is done in the hospital or surgery center under general anesthesia. Our experienced surgeons perform this surgery robotically and laparoscopically, using small incisions in the abdomen. This means that your pain will be minimized and recovery time shortened. You will probably stay just two nights in the hospital.
Afterward, you will need to commit to a regimen of taking vitamins and supplements for the rest of their lives to ensure you receive adequate nutrition.
Benefits of the Duodenal Switch Procedure
Duodenal switch surgery has excellent results, with the average patient losing 70 percent to 80 percent of the excess weight in the two years after the procedure.
Long-term, most patients who choose this type of surgery have lasting results, but lifestyle changes are important to succeed. Patients can eat larger portions than those who have other types of restrictive weight loss surgeries, allowing for greater patient satisfaction.
Who Is a Candidate for This Procedure?
Patients who have a body mass index (BMI) of 50 or greater or a BMI of 40 or greater with serious health problems are the best candidates for the duodenal switch procedure. Such problems usually include:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Sleep apnea
- Heart disease
- Lung disease
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
The duodenal switch is the best bariatric procedure to help control diabetes over the long term.
Duodenal Switch FAQs
Every person responds differently to weight loss surgery. With the duodenal switch procedure you can lose about 70 percent to 80 percent of excess body weight loss in the two years following your surgery. This means if you are 100 pounds overweight, you would expect to lose 70 to 80 pounds.
Overall, you will feel less hungry. When you eat, you will feel full much sooner (early satiety).
A duodenal switch reduces the amount of food you can consume. However, you can eat most things in moderation. The surgery is a tool to help you lose weight, but it is important that you make lifestyle changes so you are eating a healthy diet.
The stomach can never stretch back to original size. Patients who continue to overeat and lead sedentary lifestyles after surgery risk increasing their new stomach size and weight. The stomach will stretch but will not go back to its original size.
Because a portion of the stomach is removed, a duodenal switch is not reversible.
Request an Appointment with an Orlando Health Physician
This laparoscopic weight-loss surgery causes much of the food you eat to bypass complete digestion, allowing you to lose up to 80 percent of excess body weight and improving quality of life.
