Question:
Distal or Proximal

Is 75cm a distal or proximal RNY? My surgeon never mentioned those terms bus my records say 75 cm were bypassed. That sure seems like a lot.    — Meredith A. (posted on September 7, 2001)

September 7, 2001
That's almost the same I had; 75cm is a proximal RNY.
   — [Anonymous]

September 7, 2001
75cm would be considered by almost everyone to be a proximal. The numbers I've most commonly heard are:<ul><li>proximal: 10-100 cm bypassed</li><li>medial: 100-200 cm bypassed</li><li>distal: 200+ cm bypassed</li></ul> There are 2.54 cm to the inch, so you had 29.5" bypassed out of about 20 feet of small intestine.
   — Julia M.