Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch

This operation affects weight by decreasing the breakdown and use of eaten foods and restricting the size of the stomach. It can be done as open or laparoscopic surgery.

Restricting stomach size

About 75 percent of the stomach is removed. Food then travels into a new segment of intestine.

Allina locations

This surgical weight loss option is available at...

• Abbott Northwestern Hospital

Decreasing the use of eaten foods

Digestive enzymes from the liver and pancreas are kept separate from the stream of food. The enzymes travel down a different pathway of small intestine.

Food and enzymes meet only in the last 10 percent of the small intestine. This short length must do all the work of absorbing nutrients.

Higher risks

This complex operation has higher short-term risks and long-term nutritional risks than gastric bypass and LapBandŽ. As a result, it is reserved for those people with the most serious obesity (body mass index of 55 or greater).

People with liver disease are not usually candidates for this operation.