A procedure known as gastric bypass is a method of surgical weight loss that involves severing a small portion of the stomach and attaching the remaining portion of the stomach directly to the beginning of the small intestine. Following gastric bypass surgery, food that is swallowed will first go into a small pouch of the stomach and then straight into the small intestine. As a result, the majority of your stomach and the first section of your small intestine will not be involved in the digestion process.

The gastric bypass procedure is one of the types of bariatric surgery that is conducted most frequently. When diet and exercise have not been successful in helping a person lose weight, or when the person's weight is causing significant health problems, gastric bypass surgery may be an option.