Patients may experience negative outcomes such as inadequate weight loss or weight regain, reflux, or nutritional deficiencies, which might occur even after successful weight loss surgery. The second opportunity to enhance results, correct issues, and restore health is through revision bariatric surgery.
We’ll try to understand what revision bariatric surgery is, when it’s necessary, and what to expect both before and after the procedure in this blog post. This is your second chance to stay obese and lose weight more effectively.
Understanding Revisional Bariatric Surgery
Revisional bariatric surgery (performing surgery on somebody who already had weight loss surgery) requires specialized training and skills, as surgeries tend to be more complex than the initial surgery. Revisional surgery might require switching from one type of weight loss surgery to another to address weight regain (or insufficient weight loss), reflux, and nutritional deficiencies.
Depending on your primary weight reduction treatment, revisional surgery might be a tool to achieve successful and long-term results. Either altering or converting your earlier procedure, or correcting a problem. Revisional bariatric surgery is fully dependent on your previous weight reduction surgery and medical issues.
How Revisional Bariatric Surgery Works
The purpose of revision bariatric surgery is to assist individuals who have weight regain or medical issues after having weight reduction surgery.
An initial consultation to review medical, surgical, and weight history is essential to navigate further workup and options. Usually extensive workup is required to evaluate particular measurements and to find potential issues that might be contributing to the current situation. At least upper endoscopy and imaging studies are obtained to have a complete picture.
Once all the information is obtained, the potential options can be reviewed to better suit your needs. Revisional surgery is more complex than standard initial bariatric surgery, so it should always be conducted by a revision surgery expert.
Who is the candidate for revisional bariatric surgery?
A good candidate is someone who:
1. Has not lost enough weight or regained a significant amount of weight after undergoing weight loss surgery.
2. Has unwanted effects such as
- Reflux
- Dumping syndrome
- Malabsorption
- Gastric pouch ulcers, bleeding
- Lap band tightness or misplacement
Before proposing any revisional bariatric surgery, Medrano Bariatrics will assess your health, nutritional situation, and surgical anatomy for a potential revision.
What can you expect during and after revisional bariatric surgery?
Revisional bariatric surgery might require longer hospital stays, as inpatient studies might be required to verify that the surgery was successful. Also, other surgeries tend to take longer due to scar tissue from the prior intervention.
- Before surgery: A full review of the risks and benefits of the procedure will be provided so you can decide whether to proceed with surgery or not. Risks tend to be low in general, but relatively higher than in the original bariatric surgery.
- During Surgery: Scar tissue or anatomical alterations may cause the treatment to take longer than your initial surgery.
- After surgery: Expect a longer hospital stay but a similar recuperation period to your first treatment.
Regular and close follow-ups are critical for long-term success.
What are the complications of bariatric surgery?
Bariatric procedures, especially modifications, involve hazards like as infection, bleeding, leakage, and nutritional deficits.
However, when conducted by an expert team and followed up on, the risk of problems is considerably decreased.
What are the benefits of revisional bariatric surgery?
Benefits can be life-changing:
- Improved and sustained weight loss
- Treatment of health issues such as diabetes or reflux
- Correction of previous surgical issues
- Improved quality of life
- Many patients see revision surgery as a “fresh start” towards their health goals.
Is revisional bariatric surgery right for you?
Revision bariatric surgery isn’t for everyone, but it can provide new hope for people who have tried unsuccessful weight reduction surgeries or are experiencing ongoing difficulties.
If you’re ready to learn more about your options, book a consultation with a highly specialized and experienced bariatric surgeon. Together, you’ll discover the best way to regain your health, confidence, and quality of life.
About the Author
Dr. Medrano
Weight loss surgery, Obesity medicine, General surgery
Dr. Medrano, inspired by his surgeon uncles, graduated from Tec de Monterrey in 2014 and trained at Baylor College of Medicine and Houston Methodist Hospital. The only foreign graduate among 200+ applicants to earn a U.S. surgery residency in 2016, he later completed a bariatric fellowship at Abington-Jefferson Health. Now based in San Antonio, he specializes in minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgery.
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