[Gastric bypass in the treatment of major obesity. 15 cases]

Gastro-jejunal bypass, as derived from Mason's technique, consists of excluding most of the stomach, leaving only a 60 ml fundic pouch anastomosed with a Y-shaped jejunal loop. Fifteen patients (11 women and 4 men), aged from 21 to 51 years, were operated upon by this technique. In 3 of them, a jejuno-ileal bypass was transformed into a gastric bypass. The amount of weight lost by each individual patient was unpredictable and varied, in fact, from 1 to 50 kg (mean :30 kg). This was obtained within the 6 months following surgery, after which weight remained stable. All but one of the patients failed to attain their ideal weight. The only post-operative complication observed was abscess of the abdominal wall in 3 cases. Digestive disorders were constant during the first 3 months, but rapidly subsided thereafter. In view of the overall satisfactory loss of weight and low incidence of complications, this treatment can be considered useful. However, it should only be applied after strict selection and provided the patient's nutritional status can be regularly supervised.