The 5 Steps

1. Access to abdominal cavity: 5 small (1 inch) incisions on the abdominal wall to allow the insertion of access ports. Instruments are then passed through the various ports to complete the operation.

2. Creation of the Mini-Stomach: The stomach is divided into 2 parts. One part, a long narrow tube that will serve as your new “mini-stomach”. The second part is the larger remaining part of your stomach which remains alive and well, but is now “defunctionalized”, that is to say, it no longer receives or processes food.

3. Bypass of the small intestine: The length of small intestine bypassed varies from patient to patient, usually ranging from 3 to 7 feet. The actual length of intestine bypassed will be determined by your surgeon on multiple factors including your height and weight, your weight loss expectations, and a careful review of the risks and benefits of a Shorter vs. Longer Bypass.

4. Connection of intestine to pouch: The small intestine is connected to the pouch creating the "bypass". This can be done many different ways but most commonly is with a combination of staples and sutures.

5. Removal of ports and closure of skin incisions: Upon completion of the operation, all instruments and ports are removed and the 5 small skin incisions are closed with skin closure staples.