Mini Gastric Bypass vs Lap RNY

Hello, My friend is looking into having the mini.  I was wondering how the mini gastric bypass compares to the lap RNY?  Is the only advantage a quicker surgery, recovery time, less blood loss, etc. or is there a long term benefit?   Thanks for any input. Marci

Have your friend go to www.clos.net and download the patient manual.  It's listed on the left side of the website near the bottom.  It explains most of the popular gastric surgeries with diagrams to see the difference.  The complication rate of the MGB is much lower than RNY.  The statistics are posted on the website also. Also, one of the main benefits is the surgery only makes one new connection, not two like in the RNY.  So less chance for problems at the connection site. Tell her to research all the different surgeries.  That way she can make an informed decision.  There are many more happy people with MGB than those who have had trouble.  As is the case in all gastric bypass surgeries.  There will always be complications in some. Good luck.

Several  medical studies show that the weight loss at 12-18 months out is just a bit lower than that usually cited for RNY, but long-term, what matters more than which surgery someone has is how much they change their lifestyle. Here is one of the two studies I am aware of (the other isn't available, even just the abstract, on the Internet, but shows similar result in terms of initial weightloss but shows somewhat higher complication rates during the first 30 days, and shows fairly high long-term complication rates (which this study does not address) primarily from acid issues (reflux, ulcers, gastric pain)):

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22411569

 

Here is a study comparing mini to regular RNY:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1357700/

 

I know that there aren't many surgeons who do the mini-bypass. The ASMBS also does not endorse it because for those who DO have post-op leaks, the leaks have considerably more of the gastric juices than a leak from a regular RNY and therefore is a more dangerous complication.

Personally, if the ASMBS doesn't think it is worth the risks specific to that particular surgery, *I* wouldn't have it. Despite the "advertising" to the contrary, according to the surgeon's office that I sometimes do Psych evals for, the mini-bypass is NOT "easily reversible".  It is nearly as complicated to reverse as the RNY. 

Hope that helps.

 

Lora

Thank you for the links. I live in Italy and was also told that the Mini GB was not endorsed by as you said, some people "swear by it" and as a result I have been thinking about it, also thinking (assuming?) that in the US it was prevalent whereas here in Italy, where everything is always 15 steps behind, it was "just a matter of time". Your post confirms the hesitation I have been confronted with here, and raises the issue of long term / more serious complications that I was unsure about. I am also inclined to think that if the procedure is not officially endorsed then maybe I should pay attention to those who are "in the know", professionally speaking... all good food for thought.
Thank you

Thats a really good explanation! Thank you! I was wondering the same thing!