Duodenal Switch Surgery

Dumping syndrome is common symptom that usually occurs after bariatric surgery i.e. a procedure done to reduce the size of the stomach to lose weight. This symptom occurs when food passes too quickly from the stomach pouch into the small intestine. Thus, body has difficult time handling this highly concentrated food (especially sugar), which responds to large amount of fluid into the gut causing pain, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, dizziness, bloating, fatigue and lightheadedness. This complication occur due to intake to sugar and carbohydrate rich food after surgery. However, with duodenal switch dumping syndrome risk is minimal rather there is no dumping syndrome after ds surgery.

Duodenal switch also known as biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD-DS) or vertical gastrectomy with duodenal switch is an effective weight loss surgery for severely obese individuals. Nowadays, Duodenal switch surgery is becoming the first choice not because it promotes quick weight loss and allows patient to eat more food than other bariatric surgery but also due to no duodenal switch dumping syndrome.

Duodenal switch involves both restrictive and malabsorptive component for promoting weight loss. In this procedure, size of the stomach is reduced to limit food intake and the small intestine is rerouted to alter the digestion process which limits the calorie absorption. The pylorus i.e. small stomach outlet valve is kept intact with the stomach to regulate the movement of food to the intestine. This reduces the risk of duodenal switch dumping syndrome that is quite common with gastric bypass surgery.

Due to the malabsorptive aspect, this surgery is proved to be very successful in promoting weight loss but patient may experience long-term nutritional deficiency. Therefore, patients are advised to take nutritional supplements to avoid such complications.

Despite that, duodenal switch surgery is advantageous in each and every respect. It is specifically effective form of surgery for individual with BMI of more than 40 and with weight loss co-morbidities. Secondly, with two approaches, weight loss seems to be achieved more quickly. People who have undergone duodenal switch surgery found remarkable improvement in weight loss co-morbidities like type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, sleep apnea etc. Compared to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, in which dumping syndrome is quite common, ds patients experience no such duodenal switch dumping syndrome.