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Procedure · Mini bypass

Mini gastric bypass

A one-join bypass: what's different, what's the same, and the questions to ask before choosing it.

The short answer

A mini gastric bypass, also called a one anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB), makes a long, narrow stomach pouch and joins it to a loop of small bowel with a single join, where a standard bypass uses two. Weight loss is similar to a standard bypass. The main trade-off is a risk of bile reflux into the pouch. Fewer Irish surgeons offer it, so it's quoted case by case.

  • 1 joininstead of two
  • Up to 30 to 35%of body weight lost
  • Case by casequoted after assessment
  • For lifevitamins and blood tests

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See where your BMI sits against the usual criteria, what it costs in Ireland and what the HSE, insurance and tax relief can do. A surgeon always makes the final call.

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Your enquiry is on its way to one Irish clinic. Here's what happens next:

  1. Today. We pass your answers to one clinic whose bariatric surgeons are on the Medical Council's Specialist Register. No one else gets them.
  2. Usually within two working days. The clinic rings or texts you to arrange a first consultation.
  3. At the consultation. A surgeon and the team assess you, explain your options and give you a written quote. Nothing is booked unless you say yes.

Changed your mind? Email hello@gastricsleeve.ie and we'll delete your enquiry and tell the clinic.

How it differs from a standard bypass

Standard (Roux-en-Y) bypassMini (one anastomosis) bypass
Stomach pouchSmall, egg-sizedLonger and narrow, like a thin sleeve
JoinsTwoOne
Typical weight lossUp to 30 to 35%Up to 30 to 35%
Main extra concernInternal hernia, ulcersBile reflux into the pouch, more vitamin loss

Typical weight loss over 12 to 24 months as reported by an NHS bariatric unit, which gives the same range for both.

A surgeon in a cap and mask looking down

The bile reflux question

Because the bowel loop joins the pouch directly, bile can flow back up into it and the gullet. For most people it isn't a problem; for some it causes pain and needs medicine, or a second operation to convert to a standard bypass. Ask the surgeon how often they see it and what they do about it.

Risks and recovery

The surgical risks are the ones the HSE lists for all bariatric surgery: blood clots, a leak where the bowel is joined, infection, a blocked gut, gallstones, excess skin and malnutrition. Because more bowel is bypassed than in some standard bypasses, vitamin and mineral care matters even more. Recovery is like a standard bypass: one to three days in hospital, and two to three weeks before a desk job for many people.

Who it isn't for

People with bad acid reflux are often steered to a standard bypass instead, because of the bile reflux risk. As with every operation, it isn't for anyone for whom surgery isn't safe, or who can't commit to lifelong follow-up and vitamins.

Questions to ask the surgeon

  • How many mini bypasses do you do a year, and how many standard ones?
  • Why this operation for me, rather than a sleeve or a standard bypass?
  • What happens if I get bile reflux?
  • Which vitamins and blood tests will I need, and who checks them in five years' time?

Cost

Fewer Irish surgeons offer the mini bypass than the sleeve or the standard bypass, so it's quoted case by case after your assessment. Use the standard bypass range in our price guide as a guide and ask for a written quote that lists the aftercare.

Questions people ask

Is a mini gastric bypass less serious than a normal bypass?

No. "Mini" refers to the single join, not to a smaller operation. It's major keyhole surgery with similar recovery.

Is a mini bypass available in Ireland?

Some Irish surgeons offer it. Tell the clinic it's what you're interested in and they'll say whether their surgeons do it.

Read next

Gastric bypassThe Roux-en-Y bypassSleeve vs bypassThe two main weight loss operations in Ireland, side by sideRevision surgeryA second weight loss operation

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