Duodenal Switch Surgery

Duodenal switch surgery also known as biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch is an effective weight loss surgery for severely obese person. This surgical procedure is considered to be optimum for patient whose BMI is over 60 or greater. However, risk associated with surgery is extremely higher in such patients. The number of death after surgery has been decreased in few years due to the evolution of sophisticated techniques and least invasive surgical procedure but despite of that there are some cases of duodenal switch death reported.

Duodenal switch surgery is complex and less routinely performed surgery but it appears as a boon for patients having Body Mass Index of more than 60 or above. On an average, patient expects to lose 70% of their current weight and about 35% of their BMI. Additionally, this surgery also provides a remarkable improvement in the co-morbidities associated with obesity like sleep apnea, hypertension, high-blood pressure and diabetes.

Duodenal switch surgery involves both restrictive and malabsorptive components. The restrictive procedure involves removing about 80% part of the stomach leaving a sleek banana-shaped stomach. The pyloric valve is remaining intact with the stomach through which the food contents are released into the small intestine. In the malabsorptive procedure, duodenal switch involves rearranging the small intestine to separate the food from the digestive juices. Nutritional deficiencies, bleeding, leakage, blood clots, duodenal switch death are some of the risks associated with this surgery.

Mortality rate after duodenal switch surgery is said to be three times more as compared to that of gastric bypass surgery. Compared to gastric bypass surgery, duodenal switch death rate ranges from 0.7% to 0.9%. Out of every 100 patient, 1 to 2 patients died following duodenal switch weight loss surgery.

Risks and complications are associated with each type of surgeries but with the proper dietary guidelines and post-operative care, it should be minimized. Due to malabsorptive procedure, patient may have nutritional deficiencies and therefore, patients are advised to take some vitamin supplements to overcome this. Duodenal switch death rarely noticed in one to two patients in 100 patients. Though, it is complex form of bariatric weight loss surgery but at the same time it is most effective for weight loss.