Which of the following statements about intestinal bypass is/are correct?

A. The operation produced weight loss similar to that of the gastric bypass.

B. The operation produced severe metabolic disturbances, including hypocalcemia, increased bile salts and glycine synthesis.

 C. Bacterial overgrowth in the bypassed segment led to liver failure.

D. The operation demonstrated that an adult human could survive with 40 to 50 cm. of small intestine.

DISCUSSION: Unfortunately, all of the answers are true. Even though the intestinal bypass proved initially to be an effective procedure to induce weight loss, the side effects proved to be so severe that almost all of the operations had to be reversed or revised to gastric bypass to avert death from liver failure or severe illnesses due to malnutrition.