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What is Malabsorptive Weight Loss Surgery?

When considering weight loss surgery, it is important to research the different methods of weight loss surgery to determine which one is right for you. A health care professional will also guide you through your selection process to find the method that will give you the most success when attempting to lose the excess weight.

There are three types of weight loss surgeries that are commonly preformed. Each type has both benefits and disadvantages. Doctors often use either a restrictive, malabsorptive or a combination of the two when performing weight loss surgery.
Malabsorptive surgery is one method that is commonly performed. This type of surgery uses surgical methods to short the digestive tract. This makes it possible for the body to limit the number of calories that a person can absorb. The biggest disadvantage of this type of weight loss surgery is that is also limits the amount of vital nutrients taken in by the body.

The Biliopancreatic Diversion is the main type of malabsorptive weight loss surgery that is performed by surgeons.

This procedure is often more extreme because it requires a complete alteration of the digestive system. During this weight loss surgery, approximately three-fourths of the stomach is completely removed.
The remaining stomach pouch is then connected to the final segment of the small intestines. This makes the food to almost completely bypass the small intestines and food enters the large intestines much quicker. After food is swallowed, it passes from the new stomach pouch to the remaining small intestines. There, the nutrients are separated from the bile and pancreatic fluid that normally breaks them down. This procedure greatly reduces the amount of both calories and nutrients that are absorbed by the body.

•Biliopancreatic Diversion:

The goal of this surgery is to restrict the amount of food consumed and alter the normal digestive processes. It also involves the creation of a stomach pouch, but it is a larger pouch than one created in a restrictive weight loss surgery.
Biliopancreatic diversion alters the anatomy of the small intestine to divert the bile and pancreatic juices so they meet the ingested food closer to the middle or the end of the small intestine.
Patients report a greater degree of satisfaction with this procedure than with restrictive weight loss surgery, because they are able to eat larger meals. And this surgery provides the greatest amount of malabsorption, it also allows for the greatest amount of weight loss.
But as with restrictive weight loss surgery, long-term success is dependent upon the patients ability to adhere to a dietary, supplement, exercise and behavioral regimen.

Combined Procedures Gastric Bypass Roux-en-Y is a recently developed procedure that utilizes the principles of both restrictive and malabsorptive weight loss surgeries. According to the American Society for Bariatric Surgery and the National Institutes of Health, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is the most frequently performed weight loss surgery in the United States. This procedure involves the creation of a small stomach pouch with the remainder of the stomach completely stapled shut and divided from the pouch. The outlet from the pouch than empties directly into the lower portion of the jejunum, thus bypassing calorie absorption. By adding malabsorption to a restrictive weight loss procedure, food is delayed in mixing with bile and pancreatic juices that aid in the absorption of nutrients. The result is an early sense of fullness, combined with a sense of satisfaction that reduces the desire to eat.

While extremely invasive, there are some advantages.

First, this surgery allows for the greatest amount of initial weight loss due to the levels of absorption. Also, this weight loss surgery allows for larger meals because the stomach pouch is larger. With this surgery, there is usually higher total weight loss. Many times this surgery is reserved for those with much more weight to lose.


There are many disadvantages to this weight loss surgery.

  • It is very invasive and requires more cutting and stapling of the stomach and bowel. With this come a higher rate of complications, and death.
  • In addition, it takes longer to heal from this surgery than with other methods.
  • Patients are not able to return to normal activities for several weeks following this type of surgery.
  • Patients that have this surgery are subject to suffering from ulcers, intestinal irritation and dumping, which is caused by the food passing very quickly into the intestines. This can cause diarrhea, stomach cramping and nausea.
  • This surgery is not reversible and cannot be adjusted for any reason.
  • Also, patients also must have life-long monitoring for protein malnutrition, anemia and bone disease.
  • Most patients that have this type of weight loss surgery must stay on vitamin supplements for the rest of their lives to make up for the reduced amount of nutrients absorbed into the body.

>>What is Restrictive Weight Loss Surgery?>>