Many people have experienced weight gain after going on a diet. People feel discouraged with dieting alone as a treatment for obesity because of the up-and-down weight swings. In this instance, weight loss surgery may appear to be an ideal solution. It’s easy to believe that permanently altering the size of your stomach will solve your weight gain concerns.

This choice is decided on a case-by-case basis. It is possible to fix or redo the treatment with rescue gastric bypass surgery or a gastric bypass revision. It is possible to gain weight after Roux-En-Y or mini-gastric bypass surgery, and there are treatment alternatives available. One of the rates of bypass revision 18-20 making the pouch smaller or removing it, or in the pouch-intestine connection anastomosis if it’s very wide or increases malabsorption shortening the common limb.

What is a gastric bypass revision?

Any procedure to rectify a failed gastric bypass surgery is known as gastric bypass revision. This could entail shrinking the stomach, having an additional rewiring of the gastric-intestinal track, or wearing an adjustable band. After gastric bypass, the procedure can address excessive weight gain.

Some people may be wary about corrective surgery because of the cost and length of their first gastric bypass operation. However, the success rates of gastric bypass revisions are sufficient to continue the weight loss journey.

Who is eligible for a gastric bypass revision?

Only those who have already undergone bariatric surgery are eligible for revision surgery. The gastric pouch, for example, can stretch out over time and become less effective in controlling calorie intake in gastric bypass. A doctor can perform revision surgery to restore the gastric pouch to its previous size, allowing the patient to continue reducing weight.

Almost everyone who undergoes bariatric surgery loses a significant amount of weight right after. This is due in part to the restricted diet you’ll be on while your new stomach heals. You will be on a diet even after you are back on solid foods, which could be weeks or months following surgery.

Though your new stomach is significantly smaller following surgery, your stomach pouch can stretch over time. The gastric pouch can be stretched for two reasons. It might happen spontaneously as your body adjusts to the new digestive tract configuration, or it can happen because of overeating.

Can weight regain be managed with bariatric revision?

Don’t be concerned if you’ve gained weight following a bariatric treatment. There are options available to help you stop weight gain. Just like gastric bypass, bariatric revision surgery is not something that happens by surprise. The bariatric surgeon who performed your original surgery will be working with you during your follow-up appointments to see if you are tolerating the initial surgery well.

Bariatric surgery reduces the size of the stomach, and most bariatric revision options aim to restore your gastric pouch to its smaller size. The surgical alternatives available to you will be determined by the type of weight reduction surgery you had before, and the weight loss goals you desire.

How do you know if you are eligible for revision?

There are other types of bariatric surgery that have revision procedures. Sleeve gastrectomies can be treated with a sleeve revision, which returns your gastric sleeve to its original size. Due to the relatively prevalent nature of the initial treatment, gastric bypass revision has various alternatives as such it can be changed to bypass, mini bypass, or duodenal switch.

Any of these bariatric revisions will need to meet your specific weight loss goals, and other considerations such as your base metabolic rate and physical condition, just like the initial operation. Some types of gastric bypass revision can be done endoscopically as an alternative to standard or even laparoscopic surgery in gastric bypass surgeries.

Only those who have already undergone bariatric surgery are eligible for revision surgery. The gastric pouch, for example, can stretch out over time and become less effective in controlling calorie intake in gastric bypass. A doctor can perform revision surgery to restore the gastric pouch to its previous size, allowing the patient to continue reducing weight.

Also, patients who are more persistent about following their doctor’s advice to live a healthy lifestyle with less weight regain had higher success rates after revision procedures. Bariatric surgery and revision surgery are merely weight-loss tools. If the correct lifestyle modifications are not made, weight gain can begin again.

DR. GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ RUIZ MD Ph.D. FACS

Dr. Gabriela Rodriguez specializes in General and Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery. She brings to VIDA Wellness and Beauty a wealth of experience in bariatrics. Dr. Rodriguez is a founding associate of the Mexican College of General Surgeons. A world-class bariatric surgeon with double certification in the US and Mexico.