Question:
I had a distal bypass - how much fat am I utilizing?

I had a distal bypass 19 months ago. I am watching my calorie intake religiously now and I'm curious to see how many of the fat calories I consume are actually absorbed and how many are "bypassed". Any of you guys know?    — Etta M. (posted on April 16, 2004)

April 16, 2004
Hello Etta. It depends on how distal you are. What is the length of your common channel? The shorter the common channel, the less fat you will absorb. I have read that for a common channel of 100 cm, the percentage of fat absorbed is approximately 20% - 30%, but I don't think anyone really knows for sure unless their is a study which has been done that would analyze fat going in vs. fat coming out. I'd like to know if there is such a study. Does anyone have this info?
   — artistmama

April 16, 2004
I have 40" (100cm) common channe. They figure we might get as much as 5%. We frequently have cholesterol that is almost too low, for example. If you have 150cm bypassed, though, you're probably malabsorbing about 30-50%. Depends on what you mean by distal.
   — vitalady

April 16, 2004
Thanks for your response! 50 cm is what I recall from when I talked to my doctor. Of course I may have been confused but he told me at the time that he was going to take a big bypass because I had so much weight to lose.
   — Etta M.