A surgical treatment for severe obesity, gastric bypass involves isolating a small section of the stomach to form a pouch to hold food as it passes from the esophagus. A part of the small intestine is disconnected from the upper intestinal tract and connected directly into this pouch.

Because the pouch is small — and initially holds only one or two ounces of food — the patient is able to eat only small meals and over time can lose significant amounts of weight. Robotically assisted gastric bypass gives the surgeon greater precision and ability to operate on patients considered too heavy for open or laparoscopic procedures.