The Gastric Bypass or Roux-en-Y, is considered the gold standard of weight loss bariatric procedures, with a low complication rate and a very considerable weight loss. Gastric Bypass failures are produced by metabolic or mechanical causes, as well as the patient’s eating behavior; When a patient does not stick to the diet and/or eating habits established after undergoing a surgery, then the next step in this process is getting back on track.
Although, it can’t always be fixed by simply getting back on the diet plan; there are certain reasons why patients might seek a Revision Surgery after their bypass, these being:
- Not losing enough weight or regaining it
- Medical complications (Anemia, Malnutrition, Metabolic bone disease, Severe malabsorption, etc.)
The only revision surgery we currently offer is redoing your bypass, usually converting to a Distal Bypass, which is basically making the pouch smaller and giving more malabsorption. In some cases making the pouch smaller is not possible, it depends on how the previous surgery was done, but malabsorption can safely be increased 99% of the time.
A Duodenal Switch is also possible but it is an extremely complex procedure with a high complication rate, which is why we refrain from performing it. The surgery consists in undoing the bypass completely and then constructing a sleeve with the malabsorptive aspect, yet the complication rate is very high, specifically for leaks. Lots of surgeons claim to do this revision surgery, when in reality they are just redoing the gastric bypass, converting to a distal bypass as mentioned above.
Previously, we offered a procedure where we placed a Band over the Bypass pouch for more restriction. This worked for some time but then the band would slip or erode into the stomach and it was difficult to handle since the pouch created by the gastric bypass is very small. Invariably the band has to be removed. This is why we do not offer it any longer, it was not a good long-term solution.
At Mexicali Bariatric Center we are happy to provide any further information about the Gastric Bypass revision surgery, or any revision procedure you might be interested in. Please contact us at (888) 344 3916 US Toll-Free or www.mexicalibariatric.com