Gastric bypass: evolution toward mini-invasive techniques and long-term results

Since its inception and eventual use by Mason and Ito to treat obesity in 1966, the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass has proven to be an effective procedure for achieving durable weight loss and improving obesity-related comorbidities. Over time, the technique and its complication profile have evolved, including modifications such as lengthening the Roux and biliopancreatic limbs and altering the preferred path of the Roux limb. Due to its longstanding use, a substantial body of research has accumulated regarding the gastric bypass and its outcomes. Long-term follow-up demonstrates durable weight loss in most patients, extending up to twenty years postoperatively. Comorbidity resolution has been extensively studied, showing significant improvements in diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and other obesity-related conditions. Although the incidence of complications has decreased since the procedure’s inception, they have not been entirely eliminated.