The gastric bypass procedure in the treatment of morbid obesity.

Gastric bypass is an effective surgical procedure in the treatment of extreme obesity. A small gastric reservoir and a narrow anastomosis are combined to limit food intake. In patients with a mean weight of 94% above the Broca value, the normal weight is reached within 18 months after the operation. Failure to lose weight can be caused by technical errors during operation or by a continuous food intake after operation. Surgical complications are rare. The operative mortality is less than 1% and anastomotic ulcers occur in only 2% of cases. Unlike jejunoileal bypass, it causes no metabolic dysfunction.