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Lots of patients are concerned about the effectiveness of revision surgeries.

The truth is there are many factors why an initial surgery might not have yielded the results you were expecting. A patient can get multiple surgeries and still not get the expected results which can be frustrating, to say the least.  There are considerations to be taken when choosing an initial surgery and many more when deciding on revision surgery. You may have read negative comments and opinions about revision surgeries in social media saying revision surgeries don’t work, but the truth is that the correct revision surgery can really be effective to help you get the long-term results you desire.

Let’s first start by remembering that Gastric Sleeve and Lap-Band surgeries are solely restrictive procedures whereas Gastric Bypass and Duodenal Switch surgeries are both restrictive and malabsorptive.  There is no perfect surgery for everyone, you and your doctor need to decide what is the best weight loss solution for you this time around with the experience that a failed initial surgery has provided.

So do revision surgeries really work?

Revision Surgeries absolutely do work! 

There are important things to take into consideration before making a decision. It is best to discuss your specific situation with your doctor or medical staff so they can help you decide what your best revision option is.   Here are a few scenarios to give you an idea of what to consider when making a decision. 

For example, you want to get your  Gastric sleeve done again. The size of your current sleeve is important for this new procedure to work. Making your sleeve a little bit smaller will not give you the results that the initial sleeve failed to give you.  

As a rule of thumb, the safest option is that if a restrictive procedure didn’t work for you well, opt for a  procedure that includes malabsorption like the Gastric Bypass or the Duodenal Switch. But having had a restrictive procedure that didn’t work and doing another restrictive procedure as a revision surgery may work. It actually works for many many people. For example, the Lap-Band Surgery did work for some time, you lost weight but must now be removed for any reason, a Gastric Sleeve may be a very viable option.

Another situation may be that the Gastric Sleeve was way too big at first, a  sleeve reconstruction or re-sleeve surgery works perfectly fine for certain patients. Please refer to this blog post for more information on Sleeve Reconstruction surgery : (https://www.mexicalibariatric.com/sleeve-reconstruction/) 

Now, it’s important to note that surgery by itself doesn’t work. As we have mentioned many times before, surgery is just a tool.  Eating habits must be adjusted to be successful. If a patient does not follow the post-op recommendations, proper and sustained weight-loss will not occur or he or she may have other digestive issues (like diarrhea and gas) or malnourishment issues (anemia, calcium deficiency, etc). 

For more information on revision surgeries, please read our article Weight Loss Revision Surgery in Mexico.