Revision Bariatric Surgery: Weight Regain and Insufficient Weight Loss
Bariatric surgery is an effective option to address obesity and morbid obesity in countless people. That said, there are times when people do not achieve the results they wanted from their surgical weight loss procedure. Some patients find that their weight loss plateaus, and they never approach their target weight. Other patients wind up regaining most of the weight they lost. When this happens, our Tijuana bariatric surgeons and weight loss surgery experts can help.
The most ideal solution for these problems is bariatric surgery revision to address complications and weight loss issues. The Tijuana Bariatrics team would like to go over these problems with weight loss and how revising a previous bariatric procedure or converting one weight loss procedure into another one can help.
Issues with Limited Weight Loss
Most estimates suggest that surgical weight loss treatments help people shed up to 70 percent of their excess weight. This means that if a person is 100 pounds over their ideal weight range, the bariatric procedure will help them lose about 70 pounds. As you can imagine, this number is much higher for people who further exceed their ideal weight.
We mentioned issues with a weight loss plateau. In these cases, patients only lose about 40 percent of their excess weight or less. This can still leave patients obese, and while there are benefits to some weight loss, this is clearly not enough.
Can People Regain Weight After Bariatric Surgery?
Yes.
All bariatric surgery patients will hit a peak level of weight loss after about a year or two years. As their body adjusts to their new diet and lifestyle, some weight will be regained. If a patient regains too much weight after bariatric surgery, it can undo the health benefits of the procedure.
How Revision Bariatric Surgery Works
A revision bariatric surgery involves tweaking the existing procedure performed or converting the existing procedure into another weight loss procedure. This could mean converting a gastric band surgery into a gastric sleeve or gastric bypass; or it may mean converting a gastric sleeve into a gastric bypass or duodenal switch. By altering the nature of the bariatric procedure, we can help facilitate further weight loss.
Whenever possible, we will limit scarring during the revision surgery by working through incision sites made during the previous procedure.
Determining the Right Bariatric Procedure for the Revision
There are numerous ways to go about revision and conversion of a bariatric procedure. The right option varies, though it’s determined by the patient’s current weight and rate of weight loss, as well as their overall suitability for a procedure.
During a consultation here at Tijuana Bariatrics, we can go over your weight loss goals and struggles and develop the ideal treatment plan for your needs. We’ll answer any of your questions and concerns during this process.
How Successful Is Bariatric Surgery Revision?
Many patients who undergo bariatric surgery revision experience improved weight loss and are able to reach their health targets. This can make all the difference in successfully addressing various comorbidities associated with obesity.
Our focus when designing the revision procedure will be to ensure the patient gets close to their ideal weight within a year or two after the procedure, and that they develop good habits that allow the weight to remain off for years to come.
Contact Our Bariatric Surgeons
To learn more about revision bariatric surgery and your many other options for ensuring proper weight loss, be sure to contact our team of skilled weight loss surgeons.
