We are nationally recognized specialists who are pioneering how people look at weight loss surgery, offering new hope for weight loss. Our surgery teams work together with our medical weight management experts, who specialize in non-surgical therapies such as medications, diet, exercise and psychological counseling. Roux-en-Y used to be the most common form of weight loss surgery. With this surgery, the surgeon staples off a portion of the stomach to create a small pouch that holds about an ounce of food or less. This causes you to feel full after only a few bites of food. The outlet from the pouch empties directly into the lower portion of your intestines, reducing the absorption of calories and nutrients from the food you eat. The Roux-en-Y can provide sustained weight loss (60 to 70 pounds for a patient 100 pounds overweight). It is also proven to improve or weight-related conditions such as Type 2 diabetes.

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery has designated the University of Minnesota Medical Center a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence. We are also one of a very few select programs that have also achieved Adolescent Qualifications by the American College of Surgeons. In addition to offering an experienced, comprehensive approach to treating obesity as a disease, our surgeons participate in academic-based research and offer clinical trial opportunities that feature new approaches to weight loss.

Risks for abdominal surgery
Weight loss surgery is a major surgery with risks. These risks are the same as for any surgery on the abdomen (belly). Possible complications include:

• Breathing problems
• Pneumonia
• Infection
• Bleeding at the incision sites
• Blockage in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract
• Leaks at the site where the stomach or intestines are sewn together
• Blood clots in the logs causing leg pain
• Blood clots in the lungs that can cause chest pain or trouble breathing

Risks for the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
In addition to the general abdominal surgery risks, the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass also puts patients at risk of:

• Leaks at the staple line
• Narrowing of the new stomach or esophagus (stricture)
• Fewer vitamins and minerals absorbed
• Ulcer (more likely if you smoke or use NSAIDs)
• Low blood sugars (without diabetes)
• Anemia
• Trouble accessing the lower stomach and duodenum