Biliopancreatic Diversion Surgery
Bariatric surgery changes the size of your stomach, the length of your small intestine, or both. The goal is to limit how much food can be eaten and/or absorbed at one time. During this type of procedure, part of the stomach is closed off with staples to create a smaller pouch. The smaller stomach helps restrict the amount of food you can eat at one time. The small intestine is then divided, and part of it is reattached to the stomach pouch. Because part or most of the small intestine is bypassed, less food is absorbed.
The Procedure
You may have either a Biliopancreatic Diversion (BPD) or a Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch (BPD/DS). With these two procedures, a portion of the stomach is removed. The intestine is cut and the last section of the intestine is reattached to the remaining stomach. Only a very short length of intestine is left that can absorb food. As a result, most of the food that is eaten is expelled as waste and not absorbed as energy.
Special Note: The Gallbladder
Bariatric surgery is designed to cause a large amount of weight loss. Weight loss can cause deposits in the gallbladder called gallstones. To prevent this, the gallbladder may be removed during your surgery or at a later date.
