Bariatric surgery, in general, promises significant results for those people who are dealing with obesity, and other weight loss methods have, so far, failed. The procedure is typically performed on those patients who are severely obese by restricting the amount of food their stomach can typically hold. With that, gastric sleeve surgery and other types of bariatric surgery also limit nutrient absorption rate, producing dramatic effects regarding weight loss. Apart from that, the intervention can also help manage the health complications of obesity, such as hypertension, sleep apnea, and type two diabetes.
Still, in some cases, patients may need a second weight loss surgery. If you are looking for options regarding bariatric surgery revision in Miami, feel free to contact Dr. Whitwell from Surgical Solutions of Miami to get an expert opinion about your particular case.
Still, before you do that, feel free to learn more about the reasons for bariatric surgery revision from our latest article.
The Case For Bariatric Revision Surgery
Following your initial weight loss surgery, your surgeon will be closely working with you during the follow-up appointments to assess whether you are taking the effects of the surgery well.
In rare cases, experts may see inadequate weight loss weights, or they may establish unfavorable changes to the gastric pouch’s size. The reasons for bariatric surgery revisions are usually legitimate if the tests and X-rays confirm any of these suspicions.
Whether it’s gastric sleeve revision or other weight loss surgery revision, experts usually agree that the procedure is intricate and complex. Choosing the proper revision method, or sometimes even refraining from the revision, can be both critical in reaching the patient’s weight loss goals.
If the idea of a second weight loss surgery arises, patients must also have a methodical approach. This means being honest and precise about their lifestyle evaluations, their anatomical assessment should also be precise, and they should also be methodical regarding their nutrition behavioral assessment.
Lastly, the surgeon’s experience and expertise should also be considered because several variables must be examined before making a final decision.
Reasons for Bariatric Surgery Revision
The human body possesses a remarkable capacity to adjust to alterations, and reducing the size of your stomach does not assure a definite solution for weight loss. Despite the significant reduction in stomach size following surgery, the stomach pouch can gradually stretch over time. This factor and others might prompt patients to contemplate bariatric revision surgery as a potential course of action.
That said, the reasons that point to bariatric revision surgery may be insufficient weight loss, weight regain, or even too much weight loss. In other cases, there might be unintended symptoms and complications, like dumping syndrome, in which sugary food enters the small bowel too quickly. Also, there might be other problems, such as reflux, nausea, vomiting, and more.
Another reason would be the stretching of the gastric pouch, which usually happens due to two things. It may develop naturally as the body adapts to the digestive tract’s new arrangement, or it may happen due to over-eating.
Those who undergo gastric bypass need to keep to a strict diet with tiny portions. If they fail to do so, they may eat more food than their stomach can handle. In the long run, doing this may cause the pouch to stretch.
Once the newly arranged stomach has managed to stretch, the surgery’s restrictive effects will no longer apply, and patients will slowly return to eating more and more as their stomachs stretch. In a matter of time, this problem will, in most cases, lead to weight regain, something that is emotionally and mentally devastating.
Options Regarding Weight Loss Surgery Revision
Generally, there are revision interventions for all bariatric surgery types. Below are a few of the more common revision options:
- Gastric bypass revisions as a result of anastomosis and pouch problems, with conversion to DS, SADI, with lengthening the roux limb
- Band removal
- Band conversion to gastric sleeve, SADI, DS, gastric bypass
- Sleeve conversion to DS or duodenal switch
- Sleeve conversion to gastric bypass
- Sleeve conversion to SADI or modified switch
Just like the first surgery, the revision will also mean that experts will have to assess the complication rate of the intervention, the patient’s overall physical condition, base metabolic rate, and weight loss goals.
One that note, one of the most permanent reasons for weight loss surgery revisions (more specifically, a gastric sleeve) is that weight loss is simply inadequate as the patient was super-obese with a BMI (body mass index) over 50. For the most part, in these cases, experts would recommend duodenal switch interventions, or its variant, the modified switch procedure.
Second Weight Loss Surgery: Did The Surgery Failed The Patient or The Patient The Surgery?
As mentioned above, another cause of bariatric revision would be heartburn or reflux. Still, there’s always the question of whether the intervention failed because the patient failed to adhere to the strict diet and general rules that guarantee the surgery’s success.
Often, it will be a combination of several factors. That’s why it’s essential to conduct precise and careful evaluations, especially when looking at the surgical anatomy of the first intervention. If that’s causing the problem, a revision will be performed to change the initial procedure. If the problems are elsewhere, patients can always turn to their physicians and opt for medical weight loss management.
Assessing The Results
The results of the revision will be highly dependent on its extent. For example, if the revision made is overly similar to the initial procedure, the results might not be as promising.
Defining the problem and making the right decision is always monumental to ensure the best outcome and to help with weight loss. If the choices made before the revision are right, the outcome will also possibly be better.
Is Revision for Me?
Some experts agree that opting for a revision procedure and its success will boil down to the experience of the surgeon you’re working with. Their knowledge and experience play a significant role in the success of revision surgery. Apart from making the right assessments, these surgeons should also possess the latest medical technology to ensure the best results.
All in all, the subject of bariatric revision has several variables, and the surgeon’s expertise is only one side of the equation. After assessing surgical anatomy, the patient should also be honest about their approach to dieting and try to keep to the strict guidelines that ensure the procedure’s success.
On that note, we know that patients need a comprehensive and compassionate approach to their cases, and this is where our team can help. Our compassionate experts understand the mental, physical, and emotional stress that comes with bariatric surgery and revisions alike.
That said, we strive to establish open and honest communication with all our patients so we can ensure the best possible surgical results.
If you want to learn more, schedule an appointment today.