The procedure of gastric bypass has proven to aid weight loss in obese patients. However, bariatric surgery has also shown to reverse cases of type 2 diabetes within 48 hours by changing levels of gut hormones. The surgical procedure does not take a long time. St George's hospital in Tooting, South London, has started offering patients with day-case surgery, meaning you could have the bypass in the morning and expect to be at home by afternoon.
A diabetic patient who had the operation at 8am was sent home by 4pm. Consultant general surgeon at the St George's University Hospital trust, Omar Khan suggests that 20% of gastric bypass patients could be eligible for day-case surgery. He shared, “[Staying in hospital} is not a pleasant experience for anyone. The idea that you can be sleeping in your own bed with the knowledge that there is 24-hour back-up, that you can be walking into surgery at 8am and out at 4pm – I think that will get people to move forward.”
