Gastric Bypass and the Microbiome. Gastric Bypass and the Microbiome

Among procedures for bariatric surgery, Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) is an effective method to achieve sustained weight loss. However, bariatric surgery such as RYGB is invasive and permanent, resulting in life-long changes to the digestive tract of patients. As we begin to better understand the importance and central role of the microbiome in human health, the influence of gastric bypass surgery on the long-term composition of the human microbiome comes into question. Here we study the long-term effects, up to six years after surgery, of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass on patient microbiomes, showing that microbial composition changed significantly. Long-term changes to patient microbiomes were also influenced by the type of anastomotic techniques used during surgery to create the gastrojejunostomy.