Mini gastric
bypass and the traditional gastric bypass (also known as the Roux-en-Y or RNY) are both surgical solutions to morbid obesity, defined as those who are 100 or more pounds overweight. Both forms of gastric bypass surgery reroute the digestive system and reduce the amount of food you can eat and the amount of food absorbed by the body.
Warning
Any gastric bypass procedure carries risks during and immediately after the surgery, including death. Common complications reported include obstruction, pulmonary embolism, incisional hernia and gastrointestinal leak and the risk is higher with the RNY, according to The Centers for Laparoscopic Obesity Surgery.
Gastric Pouch
In any gastric bypass surgery, part of the stomach is separated with staples to create a gastric pouch, which serves the function of a full stomach for obese patients. In a mini gastric bypass, the pouch is long and narrow, while in the traditional gastric bypass the gastric pouch is higher, smaller and round.
Bowels
In the RNY, the bowel is cut in half, according to The Centers for Laparoscopic Obesity Surgery. One to six feet of the bowel is bypassed in the RNY, while in the mini gastric bypass no bowel is cut and about six feet is bypassed.
Stomach Connection
The stomach is reconnected to the one end of the cut bowel in the traditional gastric bypass, while in the mini gastric bypass the stomach is connected to the side of the still fully-intact bowel, according to The Centers for Laparoscopic Obesity Surgery.
Hospital Stay
The average hospital stay is dramatically less for the mini gastric bypass than the RNY. RNY patients without complications typically are hospitalized for about four to eight days, while mini gastric bypass operations usually require about one to three days in hospital care.
