Question:
If the roux limb is 150 cm & the biliary is 100 cm the common channel is the...

remainder of the small intestine , is this considered proximal medial or distal, also how do you figure how much has been bypassed either in inches or cm,Thanks for yor help.    — [Anonymous] (posted on February 11, 2001)

February 12, 2001
The terms proximal, distal and medial are mostly subjective, and the exact definition will vary from surgeon to surgeon. I think the average total small intestinal length is something like 650cm. If you have a biliary limb of 100cm, that's all that's being bypassed. The Roux limb and the common tract together make up your new food tract length. So, with 100cm out of 650cm bypassed, you're left with a 550cm food tract. I don't think any doc would consider your example as distal -- maybe medial, maybe proximal. But again, it's so subjective! That's why it's so important for us to study and try to understand the importance of limb lengths and how they will play into our long-term success. I'm a distal BPD/DS patient, and my biliary tract is 325cm, food tract is 250cm (100cm of which is common channel).
   — mmagruder