The Roux-en-Y ("RNY") gastric bypass procedure involves creating a stomach pouch out of a small portion of the stomach approximately the size of an egg. This pouch is then attached directly to the small intestine, bypassing a large part of the stomach and duodenum. Not only is the stomach pouch too small to hold large amounts of food, but by skipping the duodenum, fat absorption is substantially reduced. Due to the connection of the pouch to the intestine and the lack of a pyloric valve, an RNY patient eating sugary foods will sometimes suffer from "dumping syndrome". This is what happens when sugary food is ingested. The body releases insulin to counteract the sugar level. This results in a low blood sugar level which causes nausea and vomiting and a generallly awful feeling. For this reason, the RNY is believed to be the operation for those with a sweet tooth as the dumping syndrome will hopefully deter the patient from eating too much sugar.
