Gastric bypass (GBP) is any of a group of similar operative procedures used to treat morbid obesity, a condition which arises from severe accumulation of excess weight as fatty tissue, and the resultant health problems ("co-morbidities") which occur. Bariatric surgery is the surgical treatment of morbid obesity, and includes the gastric bypass procedures as one of several classes of operations.
A gastric bypass consists of a division of the stomach into a small upper pouch and a much larger, lower "remnant" pouch, accompanied by re-arrangement of the small intestines to permit both pouches to remain connected to the intestines. The manner in which the intestines are reconnected gives rise to several variations of the procedure. The operation leads to a marked reduction in the functional volume of the stomach, accompanied by an altered physiological and psychological response to food. Weight loss is typically dramatic, and co-morbidities are markedly reduced.
