What is WLS?

WLS is a Wieght Loss Surgery.
There are a number of different types out there.
I will at some point try to mention the different ones, but this will mostly be about the one I am having. It is called a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

The following information is taken word for word from the brochure "Samaritan Bariatric Program". This is a brochure I received in my information packet from the bariatric program at Good Samaritan hospital in Corvallis, Oregon.

What will the surgeon do?
How does it work?

During surgery a small stomach pouch is created by dividing the stomach just below the esophagus. This pouch is designed to hold two ounces (or 1/4 cup) of food. This limits the amount of food one can eat while providing a satisfying "full" sensation.

The lower portion of the stomach is permanently closed, but it continues to produce digestive fluids that pass into the duodenum, where bile and pancreatic enzymes are also recieved. Together, these fluids will flow through the first portion of the small intestine and combine with food for normal digestion.

Beyond the stomach, the duodenum and the small bowel are fashioned into a "Y" configuration. One limb of the "Y" drains the active small stomach pouch and the other drains the unused portion of the stomach and duodenum. The stomach pouch is attached to the small intestine by way of a hole approximately one centimeter in diameter. This helps solid food stay longer in the stomach pouch so it provides a longer duration of "fullness".

To learn more, try looking at the American Society for Bariatric Surgery's information on Roux-en-Y, or just do a Google search for Roux-en-Y surgery.

So here it is in laymens (my own words) terms.
Basically they cut your stomach loose, leaving just the very top part to make a small pouch. The rest of the stomach is left in you, and is still alive and well. It continues to make the fluids needed for digestion and mixes with the food you eat in the bowels to digest the little food you eat normally. The weight loss occurs because of two factors, one, you don't (can't) eat much with a stomach the size of a golf ball, and two, a portion of the intestine is bypassed so the food you eat doesn't spend as much time in your body before being passed out.

Well, that about covers what it is.