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What is a Duodenal Switch?

The duodenal switch is a weight loss surgery for individuals who have severe obesity. The surgery has been done for over 20 years and has become more common in the last several years. The procedure is a highly effective way of losing weight and improving health-related issues.

It combines principles of calorie restriction and malabsorption and can be combined with a biliopancreatic diversion. During your consultation with our skilled surgeon in Bellevue, you will discover how a duodenal switch can help you lose weight.

The surgeon reduces the size of the stomach under general anesthesia. This modification restricts your food intake and means you feel full more quickly. Next, the surgeon bypasses the middle of the small intestines by attaching the duodenum to the lower intestine. Typically, the surgery takes about 3 hours, and you stay in the hospital for up to 3 days after surgery.

The duodenal switch requires a lifelong change in eating and supplementation. For example, foods that are high in fat or sugar can cause you to develop excess gas, diarrhea, and stomach cramping. It is recommended that you eat small meals that are high in protein and include foods that are high in omega-3 fats so you feel full faster and longer.

Currently, this procedure is the most reliable weight loss procedure with long-term results. Duodenal switch surgery is like gastric bypass surgery in that it restricts calories and creates malabsorption to lose weight. However, during gastric bypass surgery, a greater portion of the stomach is removed, whereas a larger portion of the small intestines is bypassed during the duodenal switch surgery.