5-434.62:

In the past your stomach was shrunk to create a gastric sleeve. Now, in further surgery, your gastric sleeve has been connected to a point further down in your small intestine.

The stomach is located in the upper abdomen. The stomach has a curved shape, and is connected to the gullet (oesophagus) at its upper end and with the first part of the small intestine at its lower end. Between the stomach and the small intestine is a ring-shaped valve, the pylorus. The inside of the stomach is lined with mucous membrane.

Your small intestine has now been severed just after the pylorus. The open end at the top of your small intestine was then stitched shut. Your gastric sleeve was then stitched to a point lower down in your small intestine, just after your pylorus.

Post-surgery, food is now getting from your stomach straight to the part of your small intestine that is lower down. So food is no longer being moved through the top section of your small intestine. However, the digestive juices from your liver and pancreas are still flowing into that section of your small intestine. The digestive juices then blend with the food lower down in the small intestine.

As a result of the operation, food is passing through your intestine more quickly. So your body is absorbing fewer food components.

A laparoscopy was carried out so that you could be operated on. A laparoscopy first involves making a small incision in the abdomen. A tube with a camera is pushed through this incision into the abdomen. This camera sends pictures of the inside of the abdomen to a screen. Tools such as forceps and scissors can be inserted through other small incisions in the abdomen. The operation involved then opening your abdomen via a large incision.