What is the Difference Between Duodenal Switch and Gastric Bypass

The key difference between duodenal switch and gastric bypass is that duodenal switch is a weight loss surgery that reduces the stomach size by about 60% to 70 % and bypasses about 75% of the small intestine, while gastric bypass is a weight loss surgery which reduces the stomach size by about 70% to 80% and bypasses about 30% of the small intestine.

Duodenal switch and gastric bypass are two bariatric surgeries (weight loss) that are similar to each other. Both involve reducing the stomach size (weight loss by restriction) and bypassing a part of the small intestine (weight loss by malabsorption). However, duodenal switch depends more on weight loss by malabsorption, while gastric bypass depends more on weight loss by restriction.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Duodenal Switch 
3. What is Gastric Bypass
4. Similarities – Duodenal Switch and Gastric Bypass
5. Duodenal Switch vs Gastric Bypass in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Duodenal Switch vs Gastric Bypass

What is Duodenal Switch?

Duodenal switch is a bariatric surgery that involves bypassing much of the small intestine, where nutrients are absorbed. In other words, it is a weight loss surgery that reduces the stomach size by about 60 % to 70 % and bypasses about 75% of the small intestine. It is a technique that depends more on weight loss by malabsorption. It is a surgery that entails two major steps. In the first step, it removes or sleeves 60 % to 70 % of the stomach, leaving a smaller tube-shaped stomach. However, the valve that releases food to the small intestine remains in the surgery, along with a limited portion of the small intestine (duodenum) that usually connects to the stomach. The second step involves bypassing the majority of the intestine by connecting the end portion of the intestine to the duodenum near the stomach. Therefore, duodenal switch limits how much a person eats together, reducing the absorption of nutrients such as proteins and fats.

The risks of duodenal switch surgery include excessive bleeding, infection, adverse reaction to anaesthesia, blood clots, breathing problems, leaks in the gastrointestinal system, bowel obstruction, dumping syndrome, gallstones, hernias, lower blood sugar level, malnutrition, stomach perforation, ulcers, and vomiting. Furthermore, the cost of duodenal switch surgery generally falls between $22,000 and $42,000 US dollars.

What is Gastric Bypass?

Gastric bypass is also known as Roux-en-Y. It is a bariatric surgery that involves creating a small pouch in the stomach and then connecting this newly created pouch directly to the small intestine. After this surgery, the swallowed food directly goes into this small pouch and then into the small intestine. Therefore, in gastric bypass surgery, the food bypasses most of the stomach and the first section of the small intestine. Moreover, gastric bypass is a surgery that depends more on weight loss by restriction rather than malabsorption.

The risks of gastric bypass include pouch stretching, breakdown of staple lines, nutritional, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, stomal stenosis, and dumping syndrome (nausea, weakness, sweating, fainting, and diarrhoea after eating). Furthermore, the cost of gastric bypass surgery usually falls between $15,000 to $35,000 US dollars.

What are the Similarities Between Duodenal Switch and Gastric Bypass?

• Duodenal switch and gastric bypass are two bariatric surgeries (weight loss) that are similar to each other.
• Both surgeries involve reducing the stomach size (weight loss by restriction) and bypassing part of the small intestine (weight loss by malabsorption).
• These surgeries are performed for extremely obese people.
• Well-qualified bariatric surgeons carry out both surgeries.
• They are very costly procedures.

What is the Difference Between Duodenal Switch and Gastric Bypass?

Duodenal switch reduces the stomach size by about 60 % to 70 % and bypasses about 75 % of the small intestine, while gastric bypass reduces the stomach size by about 70% to 80% and bypasses about 30% of the small intestine. Thus, this is the key difference between duodenal switch and gastric bypass. Furthermore, duodenal switch is a less common weight loss surgery. On the other hand, gastric bypass is a more common weight loss surgery.

The below infographic presents the differences between duodenal switch and gastric bypass in tabular form for side by side comparison.

Summary – Duodenal Switch vs Gastric Bypass

Weight loss surgeries are collectively known as bariatric surgeries, which involve making changes to the digestive system to help people lose weight. Duodenal switch and gastric bypass are two bariatric surgeries that are similar to each other. In duodenal switch, the stomach size is reduced by about 60% to 70 %, and the small intestine is bypassed by about 75%. In contrast, gastric bypass reduces the stomach size by about 70% to 80% and bypasses about 30% of the small intestine. So, this summarizes the difference between duodenal switch and gastric bypass.

Reference:

1. “Gastric Bypass (Roux-En-Y).” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 25 June 2022.
2. “BPD/Ds Weight-Loss Surgery.” BPD/DS Weight-Loss Surgery | Johns Hopkins Medicine, 19 Nov. 2019.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Bilio pancreatic Diversion” By BruceBlaus – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Gastric bypass icon” By Magenverkleinerung Tips (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia