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 How does obesity surgery help you lose weight?
Gastric reduction surgery works by creating the sensation that you are full, comfortable and satisfied. Filling the pouch with a small meal feels the same as having your normal stomach full with a large meal. The stretch on the pouch walls appears to send signals to the base of the brain that generates a feeling of satisfaction. The small pouch and rearrangement of the bowel also effectively stops one from eating too much at any given meal. One bite beyond satisfaction creates a "stuffed" feeling. One bite after that causes nausea and yet another causes discomfort and vomiting.
The rearrangement of the bowel in vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) and laparoscopic gastric bypass plays an important role in preventing patients from eating or drinking high calorie foods. It is common for patients to experience an unpleasant sensation when eating sweets and drinking high calorie liquids. In medical jargon, this is called "dumping". This unpleasant sensation is why these bypass patients lose more weight in general than patients who have undergone vertical banded gastroplasty alone.
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