BANDED MINI GASTRIC BYPASS

Get the most out of your mini gastric bypass

You are a suitable candidate for bariatric surgery. It is a procedure that will change your life – so you want to make the right choice.

There are a number of different bariatric surgeries available. What they all have in common is that they limit your food intake and alter your digestion. However, there are also differences. You and your surgeon will discuss which surgery is most suitable for you.

Mini gastric bypass surgeries are one of the three most commonly performed proceduress. When you undergo a mini gastric bypass, your stomach is made smaller. Part of your intestine is also rerouted. The advantage of a mini gastric bypass is its three-fold effect:

  • Having a smaller stomach causes you to eat less
  • The shortening of your intestine means you will absorb fewer nutrients
  • Your hormone balance will change, making you feel less hungry

All of these factors lead to weight loss.

However, the procedure is only an aid to losing weight. It is said that about 80% of weight loss in the year following the procedure is the result of the surgery, and 20% is the result of changing your eating and exercise habits. After a year, these percentages are reversed. This means that changing your behaviour is very important and should take place within a year after the surgery.

Click here to watch our 2 minute video on the Banded Mini Gastric Bypass
Banded

Preventing long-term weight gain

Unfortunately, it is possible for patients to start gaining weight again over time. This is usually due to eating and exercise habits changing again without you noticing. People who gain weight after having their stomach reduced may also have a less pronounced feeling of being full (satiety). Satiety is determined in part by the new connection (anastomosis) between the stomach and intestine. If this connection is or becomes enlarged, it takes longer for you to feel full, and you are more likely to overeat.

Fitting a MiniMIZER Ring as part of the mini gastric bypass procedure can help prevent weight gain in the long term. It helps you to maintain the necessary lifestyle changes. This variation on the conventional procedure is also called a banded mini gastric bypass.

What is a MiniMizer Ring?

The MiniMIZER Ring is a certified surgical implant. It is made of medical-grade silicone, a material that is tolerated by the body. After the stomach has been made smaller during the gastric sleeve procedure, the surgeon fits the MiniMIZER Ring loosely around the upper part of the reduced stomach. The ring is secured so that it cannot move out of place.

How does the MiniMizer Ring work?

Because the MiniMIZER Ring is positioned loosely around the reduced stomach,
it has the effect of slowing down the passage of food. As a result, you feel full more
quickly and stop eating sooner. In this way, the ring supports you in changing
your eating habits and makes them easier to maintain.

Results of Banded Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Better weight loss

Counteracting weight gain

People who have a mini gastric bypass lose about 70%–80%(3) of their excess weight. Studies show that people with a MiniMIZER Ring around their reduced stomach lose even more weight. Two years after the surgical procedure, they will have lost on average 30%(4) more of their excess weight than people who had a conventional mini gastric bypass five years after the procedure they will on average, still have lost 23%(2) more weight than the patients who have had a conventional mini gastric bypass.

After an initial period of weight loss, it is possible for weight gain to reoccur some time after a mini gastric bypass procedure.  More than three years after the procedure, around 30%(5) of people with a conventional mini gastric bypass have gained weight again. This happens very gradually. Some people gain so much that they need a second procedure.

With a MiniMIZER Ring fitted around the mini gastric bypass, no additional procedure is required due to weight gain – even eleven years after the original procedure.

Better weight loss

People who have a mini gastric bypass lose about 70%–80%(3) of their excess weight. Studies show that people with a MiniMIZER Ring around their reduced stomach lose even more weight. Two years after the surgical procedure, they will have lost on average 30%(4) more of their excess weight than people who had a conventional mini gastric bypass five years after the procedure they will on average, still have lost 23%(2) more weight than the patients who have had a conventional mini gastric bypass.

Counteracting weight gain

After an initial period of weight loss, it is possible for weight gain to reoccur some time after a mini gastric bypass procedure.  More than three years after the procedure, around 30%(5) of people with a conventional mini gastric bypass have gained weight again. This happens very gradually. Some people gain so much that they need a second procedure.

With a MiniMIZER Ring fitted around the mini gastric bypass, no additional procedure is required due to weight gain – even eleven years after the original procedure.

What are the possible side effects of a MiniMizer Ring?

  • Regurgitation can be a possible side effect of the MiniMIZER Ring. If this occurs shortly after the procedure, it may be because the stomach is still slightly swollen. This may constrict the passageway into the stomach slightly. In the days following after the procedure, the swelling will go down by itself.
  • If you continue to regurgitate sometimes later on, there is no need to worry right away. Regurgitation can also be a result of the way the ring works. The ring slows down the passage of the food you eat, so it is very important to adjust your eating habits and diet to accommodate this change. Take small bites, chew well and pause between bites. If you do not do this, you may experience some regurgitation.
  • If the regurgitation continues even after you have changed your eating habits and diet, it is possible to loosen the MiniMIZER Ring or even remove it. However, this does require keyhole surgery.
  • One extremely rare complication is band erosion. Band erosion means that the MiniMIZER Ring starts to push(grow) its way into the stomach wall as a result of friction. In cases of complete band erosion (migration), the ring actually ends up inside the stomach. Often, patients do not notice that this has happened. They may only notice that they are able to eat more again. Should band erosion occur, the gastroenterologist will remove the MiniMIZER Ring by means of a gastroscopy.

References:

2. Banded Sleeve Gastrectomy: Better Long-Term Results? A Long-Term, Cohort Study Until 5 Years Follow-Up in Obese and Superobese Patients. Luc Lemmens & Jelmer Van Den Bossche & Hinali Zaveri & Amit Surve
3. The mini-gastric bypass: experience with the first 1,274 cases. R. Rutledge
4. Laparoscopic Silastic Ring Mini-Gastric Bypass (SR-MGBP): Up to 11-Year Results from a Single Centre. Laila Sheikh & Lyn A. Pearless & Michael WC Booth
5. Weight regain after Mini Gastric Bypass. Nidhi Khandelwal, Jaydeep Palep