Transit Bipartition - What Is It?
Unfortunately, the number of people suffering from obesity and diabetes is growing rapidly in many countries around the world. Since these two diseases can be attributed to metabolic and fatty acid disorders, patients who suffer from obesity but don’t have diabetes, are at an increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus. Being overweight and suffering from diabetes mellitus adversely affects the functioning of vital organs and leads to increased blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, etc. Left untreated obesity combined with diabetes mellitus can lead to very serious consequences and a significant decrease in patient’s ability to work.
Transit Bipartition (other terms: transit displacement, transient surgery) is one of the metabolic surgery procedures recommended for patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity. The advantages of this procedure are non-invasiveness (performed using laparoscopy), preservation of stomach and duodenum integrity, and a stable absorption rate of vitamins and minerals.
Moreover, with approximately 1.5 hours of surgery, patients effectively lose weight and ultimately experience improvements to their quality of life.
Transit Bipartition- Indication
In order to decide whether Transit Bipartition will be an effective method of treatment, it is necessary for patients to undergo an examination. Usually, this procedure is recommended in the following cases:
- patients with a mass index over 30,
- patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus,
- patients at risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus,
- people who have no contraindications to Transit Bipartition,
- patients wishing to lose weight using a minimally invasive surgical method.
Transit Bipartition- Advantages
Before surgery patients undergo examinations so that the functionality of their organs such as heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys can be checked; contraindications and inflammation also have to be ruled out.
Transit Bipartition cannot be applied to patients:
- with type 1 diabetes mellitus,
- with diseases of the digestive system, such as ulcers or gastritis,
- with cancer,
- who are pregnant or lactating.
The surgery lasts approximately 1-1.5 hours and is performed under general anesthesia using laparoscopy (small incisions in the abdomen), allowing patients to quickly return to their lives.
During the operation, part of the stomach is removed and a new connection is created. After surgery, approximately one-third of the food passes through the duodenum, while the remaining food passes through the new junction of the small intestine and stomach created during the operation. Also, the secretion of the hormone ghrelin ceases, causing a reduction in appetite.
In the postoperative period, patients can consume liquid food for the first two weeks, after which soft foods can be introduced. After the operation, the patient remains in the clinic for 3-5 days so their condition can be monitored.
Even though obese patients can lose up to 80% of their excess weight, vitamins are still absorbed by the body efficiently. An indisputable advantage that should be emphasized is the preservation of the integrity of the organs, i.e. the stomach and duodenum, as a result of which the patient can go through endoscopic procedures in the future.
Other advantages of a transit split include the following:
- no need to take additional vitamins, since food is absorbed efficiently,
- less than 7% of patients have a hemoglobin level of 120 g / l,
- low intragastric pressure,
- significant improvement in patient’s quality of life,
- patients can maintain their new body weight for a long period of time,
- disappearance of some symptoms as well as general physical improvement,
- operation reversibility.
Transit Bipartition is one of the safest surgical procedures available because it is usually performed by very experienced surgeons.
However, like any surgical intervention, Transit Bipartition has its drawbacks, which can be associated with the poor-quality preoperative examination, the insufficient experience of the surgeon in performing such operations, as well as with the risks inherent in surgical intervention. Patients should remember to take vitamin B12 supplements in the run-up to surgery.
After surgery, patients need to implement positive changes to their lifestyles, develop new healthy habits and pay attention to proper food intake, avoiding high amounts of fat; patients should eat more often, for example, 5-7 times a day, ingesting small portions at each sitting.
Some clinics provide customized monthly meal plans for their patients, directly after Transit Bipartition surgery. Patients who receive such plans are recommended to avoid certain foods and drink items, such as coffee, alcohol, or soft drinks. For a month after surgery patients should not engage in intense sports, weight lifting, sex, or pregnancy planning. After the operation, physical activities such as walking or swimming can be gradually reintroduced.
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