The size of your stomach will vary depending on the surgeon. All surgeons use a tube to guide them when stapling the stomach. This tube size can vary from as small as 32 French Bougie (1-2 ounces) to as large as 64 French Bougie (6-8 ounces). This is a very important question to ask when considering this surgery, since those patients with larger pouches may have less weight loss.

This type of stomach removal has been performed with the Duodenal Switch procedure since the mid 1980’s. It does involve stapling, just like in the gastric bypass and has similar risks.

Vitamin deficiencies are rare with this procedure because there is no intestinal bypass. However, the procedure is very restrictive so most surgeons recommend that patients take a multivitamin, calcium and possibly a B12 vitamin after surgery. Talk to your surgeon for your specific needs based on your diet.

All patients undergoing weight loss surgery are at risk for weight regain. None of the operations can prevent this. Those patients who maintain good dietary habits and exercise patterns are more likely to keep the weight off than those who do not exercise and who snack frequently.

The diet will progress over the first year. It usually starts with 2-4 weeks of liquid protein drinks and water. Patients gradually progress to thicker food items and by two months are able to eat seafood, eggs, cheese and other regular foods. The calorie intake increases over the first year and by 12 months many patients have achieved their goal weight and consume between 900 and 1500 calories per day. This final calorie intake depends on level of activity, age and gender (men can usually consume more calories and maintain their weight).

That all depends on your occupation: if you have an office based job then you are looking at a week off work. You will need longer if you do a job which includes heavy lifting or carrying.