Techniques of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Morbid obesity represents a challenge to healthcare as the underlying source of numerous risks and significant expenditure. Gastric bypass surgery has been validated as a means of significant and reproducible reduction in weight. In the laparoscopic era, the minimally invasive approach has been applied to this procedure with promising results. In our technique, we divide the stomach to create a small gastric pouch drained by a retrocolic, retrogastric Roux-en-Y alimentary jejunal limb. The gastrojejunostomy is performed in 2 layers, an inner stapled layer and an outer sutured layer. We, like other groups, have found that laparoscopic gastric bypass provides similar efficacy to open gastric bypass, but offers improved patient acceptance, quality of life, and significantly less wound complications. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.