Bariatric Revision Surgery
- What is a bariatric revision surgery?
- Should I get a bariatric revision?
- How does bariatric revision surgery work?
- Is there a risk of complications?
Usually when someone chooses to have bariatric surgery (and then follows their post-surgery plan), the person loses a significant amount of weight and maintains that loss for years to come.
In some circumstances, however, the procedure doesn’t lead to the significant weight loss that the patient expected. Or, the patient will lose their desired weight, but then gains it back. This can be due to a factors such as how well the patient followed the program, but can also be due to the procedure being performed incorrectly. When the initial bariatric surgery was not properly performed, or there are internal complications from the initial surgery a person may opt for bariatric revision.
Like any disease, morbid obesity can be complicated to cure — which is why you should not feel ashamed if you’re in need of bariatric revision surgery. To help you understand the details of the procedure, we broke down exactly what you need to know about bariatric revision.
What is a bariatric revision surgery?
In general, bariatric revision surgery refers to the need to revise an already completed bariatric surgery. It can be a result of these three factors:
-
Weight gain. The most common reason for revision surgery is weight regain or insufficient weight loss. Whether it’s due to poor diet and exercise, psychological concerns or other unknown reasons, it’s possible that patients will regain weight after having bariatric surgery.
-
Faulty surgery. If someone received faulty bariatric surgery, it’s important to get the procedure revised. Faulty surgery occurs when a surgeon performs the procedure incorrectly, and is more common in patients who received bariatric surgery years ago using less-effective methods.
-
Health revisions. In some situations, a patient will have health or emergency concerns that will call for bariatric revisions. These circumstances can vary based on individual and doctors should treat it on a per-patient basis.
With almost 30 years of experience and more than 50,000 patient surgeries performed, Barix Clinics is the most experienced hospital network to provide bariatric surgery in America. Our surgeons are specialists at performing these kinds of revision procedures.
Should I get a bariatric revision?
Sometimes, people gain back their weight because of internal issues that require surgical revision. Other times, it’s due to poor diet and exercise. In order to ensure a bariatric revision is the proper route, your surgeon will want to rule out diet or exercise problems before moving forward with another procedure.
The surgeon may want you to work more closely with your nutritionist to carefully track what you’re eating. For exercise, the nutritionist can use a special device called an indirect calorimeter to test your basal metabolic rate (the amount of energy your body burns when you rest).
If your medical team rules out diet and exercise problems, your doctor will usually check your stomach pouch size and the opening between your stomach and small intestines. He or she can check this a variety of ways:
-
Upper Gastrointestinal Tract Radiography that allows you to see your digestive tract.
-
An Endoscopy that shows you the inside of your stomach.
-
An eating test measures how much you can eat before feeling full.
If your pouch or opening has stretched (or is too large), the only option may be a revision surgery.
How does bariatric revision surgery work?
While there are many ways to approach this surgery, there are two common methods:
-
Reduce “stoma” size. For some patients, the connection between their pouch and small intestines (called gastrojejunal anastomosis, or stoma) gets bigger following surgery. If this happens to you, your surgeon may be able to tighten the connection.
-
Tighten stomach pouch. As mentioned above, it can be possible that a pouch stretches over time. If this is the case, having it reduced can improve weight loss.
Our experienced board certified physicians will work with you one on one to determine the best solution for your bariatric revision. If you do choose to have bariatric revision surgery, our weight loss surgery support groups will provide you with the guidance, knowledge and support you need to reach a healthy, happy lifestyle.
Are there any complications with bariatric revision surgery?
In certain situations, a second bariatric surgery can come with increased risk of complications. This can include infection, bleeding and leaks in the gastrointestinal tract. Because of these risks, doctors are usually more cautious redoing your bariatric surgery if you gained weight due to poor diet and exercise habits.
Take control of your body.
If you’ve gained weight since your bariatric surgery, we’re here to help. Barix Clinics can provide you with weight loss solutions to improve your results and get your life back on track. To learn more, contact us today.
