Bypassed Intestine

Hello,

I got the RNY 6 months ago abroad. In my 6 months follow up I discovered that my doctor bypassed 220 cm leaving me with 380 cm of common channel (the total length of my intestine was 600 cm, so she bypassed like 1/3). I am now terrified and under panic attack because I think she bypassed to much and I will be suffering nutritional deficiencies down the road. I am only 38 years old and weight 220 pounds.

I take all my vitamins and I am in therapy with a psychologist for my anxiety.

I want to know if in the future I am suffering for nutritional deficiencies this can be revised and make my bypassed intestine shorter?

Can someone talk to me about their experiences please and if you think this is too much what consequences can it bring me?

Thank you,

I don't even know how much was bypassed. I take my vitamins and get my labs done. If something is deficient or too high I adjust the supplements.

Mist of us don't have much problems as long as we don't slack on vitamins.

Why are you stressing? are you losing too much weight too fast? Do you have lab work results that show severe deficiencies even as you supplement vitamins and minerals?

Doctors often bypass 100-150 cm of the small intestine. But some doc may determine that based on an individual, the person size and how much weight the person need to lose to be consider successful. That seams to be still consider proximal RNY. Distal RNY would be when they bypass all but the last 100-150 cm.

Overall, looks like 1/3 can be a good number for you. Plus it moves the junction with a bile leg down, that may be beneficial in limiting digestive enzymes from liver and pancreas back flow. I heard that this can be very unpleasant. Like GERD on steroids.

"There are variations between the constructed limb lengths of RYGBPs described in the literature, and these are designed by the surgeon's preference.^[7,8] Most surgeons create a restricted gastric pouch from which the alimentary limb (AL) (100-150 cm) follows to join the biliopancreatic limb (BPL) (usually 50-100 cm in length) to form the common limb. The remaining common limb (CL) length is of an indeterminate length based on the length of small bowel left, and the patient's anatomy,^[7] and this configuration is known as the proximal or standard gastric bypass.^[9,10] A distal gastric bypass differs by having a fixed CL length of 100-150 cm which leaves a variable AL and BPL length that may end up being very long or conversely very short."

As far as i know, my doc bypassed 150 cm, and he did not measure the rest. I lost weight rather fast, losing app 100 lbs withing 6 months. I lost an additional 10-15 lbs in the next few months.

Post op RNY - most of us, the one with 100 cm, or 150, or 200 - we all malabsorb minerals and vitamins. How much of each one - is a varies from person to person. I make sure to get lab work at least once a year to monitor my numbers, or more often for the once that are more difficult for me to maintain.

But even though I have malabsorbtion, and I need to make sure I supplement daily, I had no problem gaining weight after year 2. Most people post op RNY find taht first 2 years is often easy to ose and maintain, but comes year 3 and after... and we have to fight ever day not to regain. I was dealing with some work, personal issues, and stopped being so careful what and how much I ate and drank, and in 6 months I gained 40 lbs, 10 lbs on purpose, the rest I was not paying attention. It took me a YEAR to lose to get to my goal. Gaining 5-10 lbs is so easy. 2-3 weeks vacation - sure. Even though I was active, I gained 8 lbs on vacation this year.

Unless you have a reason to panic, enjoy the ride, lose what you need to lose. During first 2 years we had lab work done every 6 months. Some deficiencies (B1, B12, calcium, magnesium, proteins, etc) can cause a permanent damage to the body when they are long term deficiencies. Ctchimg that in time - allow the person to supplement more, or a different type (i.e. calcium carbonate is not as well absorb as calcium citrate).

Thank you for your message and explanation. I am 6 months out and now I weight 142 pounds. I dont want to go lower than 130.

3 months blood test my ferritin was 30, but everything else was fine. I having on Friday my 6 months blood work. I started taking the Proferrin Heme Iron and I hope it has helped increased my ferritin.

I am just having a hard time adjusting and seeing and skinny body that I have never had.

Thank you for your message and explanation. I am 6 months out and now I weight 142 pounds. I dont want to go lower than 130.

3 months blood test my ferritin was 30, but everything else was fine. I having on Friday my 6 months blood work. I started taking the Proferrin Heme Iron and I hope it has helped increased my ferritin.

I am just having a hard time adjusting and seeing and skinny body that I have never had.

I malabsorb iron. Plus my hema thinks I have a small blood loss - leak somewhere. My body is losing iron and B12.

I tried to increase iron, use different type iron, etc etc. But over last 11 + years when m ferritin drops, I get infusions.

After my 6 months I got down to 150, and I did not wanted to lose more, but I did. I had t slowly increase how much I ate and what I ate. Adding a couple of fruits per day, some starches, and more fat i.e. nuts) I can gain weight.

Even this year, my body dropped to 136 lbs. Way too low for me, my frame, my body type. After a while brought it back to ~ 145... I felt I need to gain to 150, but after I did, I did not like it. So I dropped down to 145i**** is skinny enough for me, and my friends no longer try to force feed me. I have large frame, big bones. I can manage staying around 145. Below 142, it gets too low for me.

Beside regaining, that I know I can and I can do it fast when I want to, I also can maintain or lose weight when I want to. When i stay on a "good RNY" type diet (no alcohol, sweets, starches, etc.etc) I lose weight and it is not very difficult to maintain.

I mostly follow Keto-Paleo type diet. I developed food allergies and sensitivities, and I had to eliminate bunch of foods I used to have a hard time to keep control over (i.e. dairy - cheese, milk, yogurt)

Due to other issues, I avoid grains, alcohol, nightshade vegetable, beans, and a few other.

It is what it is.

Be diligent in making sure you get regular and DETAILED lab work.

Hi

After surgery I experienced a lot of anxiety about possible vitamin deficiencies. I had psychological follow-up with a psychologist who had surgery 22 years ago. Here at OH, many people helped me and showed that problems are rare. I follow a healthy diet with few ultra-processed foods. Today, from time to time there is still some anxiety and I don't deny it. I look into anxiety and I know this is all: anxiety, not reality. Enjoy the positive changes of surgery when you're done and you don't have to push: each person has their time. Mine was very long

Thank you so much for your kind reply. Anxiety is something that I am also working with my therapist and for me I think it will be a long road too, but that its ok. I will get there!!!

Merry Christmas!!