Proximal vs. Distal

Hello all my smart GAPs! Last night, while out with friends, I was asked if I had Proximal or Distal surgery.  (I'm not even sure if I'm spelling that right!) Well, I don't know!  I have heard those terms on the board, but not when talking about my RNY.  What is the difference?  I can ask my surgeon at my follow up in a couple of weeks, but I figure I should know what the difference is! TIA! Brenda

There's no clear cut answer as it varies depending on which surgeon you talk to.  But in general there's what I've found: Proximal and Distal refers to how much of your small intestine was bypassed -- they meansure from below your whole stomach to the point where they create the common channel (Y). In general 150cm (about 5 feet) is the dividing line between proximal and distal.  Anything less than 150cm is considered proximal and anything 150cm and longer is considered distal. I am bypassed 150cm which puts me right where I wanted to be -- on the line between the two. My surgeon said that 150cm is becoming the standard amount of bypass for a lot of surgeons in the industry.  It's enough to give significant malabsorption without being too much to cause excessive malnutrition. HTH Pam

Thanks Pam, I have often wondered the same question. Learned something new today.