What Is Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass Surgery?

Laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery is one of the most minimally invasive of all the different weight-loss surgeries. Once patients have this procedure, their hospital stay is only between one and three days, and they may only miss up two weeks of work. Unlike other forms of bariatric surgery, minimal cutting is involved as well.

Small Openings

• In laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery, doctors make four to six small openings around the abdominal region. Surgeons can then pass lights, cameras and surgical instruments to the abdomen.

Carbon Dioxide

• The Surgical Weight-Loss Center at the Cleveland Clinic states that carbon dioxide is used during the procedure to inflate the stomach. This allows surgeons to see the stomach better.

Smaller Surgical Instruments

• In laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery, the surgical instruments used for the procedure are about the width of a pencil.

Adjustable

• This minimally invasive procedure entails placing an adjustable band around the stomach in order to cinch it. This band can be tightened or loosened after surgery as needed.

Weight Loss

• The U.S. National Library of Medicine says that this form of bariatric surgery does not have the same dramatic weight-loss statistics as gastric bypass surgery. However, it does not have many of the side effects--such as malnutrition and vitamin deficiency--as gastric bypass.