Roux-en-Y is a type of gastric bypass surgery in which the stomach is divided into two sections, thus creating a stomach “pouch” that is in turn attached to the intestine.
This bypasses a large portion of the stomach as well as the duodenum, reducing both food consumption and fat absorption. The “Y” refers to the artificial connection that is used with this type of bariatric surgery.
Definitions from around the Web:
The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure involves creating a stomach pouch out of a small portion of the stomach and attaching it directly to the small intestine, bypassing a large part of the stomach and duodenum.” -National Library of Medicine
In a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, the stomach is made smaller by creating a small pouch at the top of the stomach using surgical staples or a plastic band. The smaller stomach is connected directly to the middle portion of the small intestine (jejunum), bypassing the rest of the stomach and the upper portion of the small intestine (duodenum).” -WebMD
“The Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass, Roux-en-Y, first performed in 1993, is regarded as one of the most difficult procedures to perform by limited access techniques, but use of this method has greatly popularized the operation, with benefits which include shortened hospital stay, reduced discomfort, shorter recovery time, less scarring, and minimal risk of incisional hernia.” -Wikipedia
View an image of Roux-en-Y bypass (National Library of Medicine)