Revision Surgery
As the name implies, this surgery would revise in some way your first surgery. Revision surgery may be considered when a problem occurs that is directly related to the first weight loss surgery.You had your weight loss surgery, and things were going pretty
well. The weight was coming off and you were feeling better than you had before. But then something happened – you had a problem with the original surgery or you just couldn’t lose any more weight.
Why Do You Need Revision Surgery
That’s when you and your doctor might want to consider what’s called “revision surgery.” As the name implies, this surgery would revise in some way your first surgery. Revision surgery may be considered when a problem occurs that
is directly related to the first weight loss surgery such as:
- A pouch created during the first surgery has become stretched and grew larger.
- An outlet in a gastric pouch increases in diameter.
- A fistula (where the stomach pouch grows back and makes a new connection to the bypassed stomach) develops.
- The intestine is able to absorb more than your doctors originally thought.
- A band slips causing a restriction.
In some cases, these problems can be fixed without a new type of weight loss surgery being done. Your surgeon would just need to go and fix the problem. If that is not possible, your physician may need to revise the type of surgery and do a new procedure.
For instance, if you had a problem with your lap band surgery, your doctor may discuss your having a vertical sleeve gastrectomy, which may provide better results over time.
Sometimes patients need a revision surgery because they fail to
lose adequate weight or medical complications result from the first surgery. When patients feel they aren’t losing enough weight, the staff at My New Self Surgical Weight Loss Program will first see if there are ways they can help you get back
on track. You may need to sit down with the dietitians and discuss your food diary and your exercise habits. If there isn’t a problem with your post-surgery lifestyle, then you should talk to the team about next steps.
There are some
things you should consider when discussing revision surgery with our team and with your doctors.
Most revision surgeries are considered to have a slightly higher risk than the original surgery. The complications depend on what the problem
is and what surgery is being performed.
The revision surgery may take 5-6 hours to perform and require a hospital stay of two to three days, after which you’ll be out of work for about two weeks and may not resume full activity for
six weeks.
Before your revision surgery, you will need to have some laboratory tests completed including blood work, x-rays and an endoscopy. Your doctor may need to address any vitamin or nutritional deficiencies before the operation.
If you smoke, you should quit before the surgery is scheduled to prevent complications.
Weight loss surgery, while it may require revision to obtain optimal results, is still considered an effective way for those who are obese to lose their
excess weight and develop a healthier lifestyle.
