Robotic/Laparoscopic Duodenal Switch
The duodenal switch operation has been in practice for three decades. Until recently, most of these operations were performed by open technique. More recently, both laparoscopic and robotic techniques for performing the duodenal switch have been well described. These include, either stapled or hand sewn anastomoses. In addition, the operation can be performed as a loop version or a Roux-en-Y version of the operation. Our preference is to perform this operation using the robot for ergonomic reasons but the technique is quite similar when performed open, laparoscopically, or using the robot. This chapter describes minimally invasive ways of performing the duodenal switch using a hand-sewn technique, highlighting some differences between the robot and the laparoscopic approach, as well as, the loop in the standard Roux-en-Y technique.
