Have you undergone any form of bariatric weight loss surgery and later had complications or you did not end up losing weight? Undergoing a revisional bariatric surgery could be the best option for you.
Revisional bariatric surgery is a surgery performed to repair or correct any of weight loss surgical procedure that was performed before. It is a corrective procedure to an unsuccessful weight loss surgery or a weight loss surgery with complications.
It is beneficial for correcting complications and to enhance weight loss results from a previous weight loss procedure.
The need for revisional bariatric surgery is simply to correct or repair complications that happened in the first bariatric surgery. It is also to enhance weight loss result in cases where the first weight loss surgery did not yield any significant result.
Some surgeons have performed weight loss surgery and later on there were complications with the procedure. Some overweight patients that undergo weight loss surgeries the first time didn’t experience any weight loss. The patients had to undergo another weight loss surgery that will hopefully lead to weight loss.
There are different types of revisional bariatric surgery procedures. The different procedures are performed in different ways and they are all performed for the sole aim of weight reduction.
If you have undergone gastric sleeve surgery before and you didn’t experience any weight loss, a gastric sleeve revision surgery may be the solution.
There are four different options of gastric sleeve revisional surgery, they include:
However, a little weight regain does not automatically qualify you as a right candidate for a revisional procedure. You need to first talk with the surgeon that did your surgery.
He/she will observe and evaluate you to know the exact reason/s why the procedure didn’t yield good result. Your surgeon will then decide if you need to undergo a revisional bariatric surgery.
Yes, a different surgeon can perform a revisional bariatric surgery. However, some revisional bariatric surgeries are very complicated and difficult, hence it requires a very experienced specialist.
If you want to undergo a revisional bariatric surgery with a surgeon that is different from the previous surgeon that did the first surgery, make sure he/she is a specialist that is very experienced with an excellent track record.
Results from revisional bariatric surgery are generally better than the result obtained from the initial procedure. If it is done by an experienced surgeon, he/she will know the exact reasons why the initial procedure didn’t yield a good result. If there were complications with the first procedure, the surgeon will know about it and how to prevent these complications from arising again.
Due to the practical experience with the first procedure, the surgeon will have better insights on how to perform the revisional procedure. Any complication that happened in the first procedure will be corrected and all available problems will be solved.
Losing weight after a revisional procedure is generally easier and more effective. Since you have gone through a weight loss procedure before, you will have better experience and knowledge on the things you need to do, diet you need to follow, exercise routines you need to engage in, and other instructions you need to follow so as to get a better result from the revisional procedure.
It will be a less dramatic and less difficult process since you already have experience from the previous procedure. You will know what you didn’t do well during the first procedure and how to improve on them.
However, undergoing a particular procedure may not yield good result, hence another kind of procedure is recommended. For instance, some patients have undergone Lap-band procedure but did not lose weight after the procedure and when underwent a revisional Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, they lost significant weight.
What this mean in essence is that a particular bariatric procedure may not produce good result on a patient and the need for a different revisional procedure is essential. Different patients do well with different bariatric procedures, hence if you undergo a particular procedure and you didn’t get a good result, a different revisional procedure might yield better results.
Just like preparing for any weight loss surgery, you need to first consult with your doctor to give you special medical instructions, dieting plans and the things you need to do before undergoing a revisional procedure.
In order to get a better result from a revisional procedure, you need to prepare better more than how you prepared for the initial procedure. You need to thoroughly follow all the instructions given to you.
Typically, before undergoing a weight loss procedure, you are not allowed to eat for some days before the day of the procedure. You should be eating food that contains a lot of protein months or weeks before the procedure.
This is because you will need protein in your body system to compensate for its need after the surgery due to the rapid weight loss you are going to experience. You should also take multivitamins to help revitalize your body system.
The night before the procedure, you are not allowed to eat any food or take liquids that contains calorie. If you are on any medications or you have any medical condition, inform your doctor.
Your doctor may perform some tests on you to check your blood pressure, sugar level and other necessary tests. You may need to undergo an X-ray and upper gastrointestinal evaluations so that your doctor will know if you are suitable and medically safe to undergo the procedure.
Just like every bariatric surgery, after undergoing the procedure, you will need to stay in the hospital or clinic for 3 or more days so that you can be properly monitored and observed.
You will be allowed to drink only clear fluids like water and some specific kind of liquids. You are not allowed to eat solid food because your stomach needs to heal first before you can eat solid food.
You will be given special diets that you need to follow for some weeks or months until your intestine and internal organs are healed before you can start eating solid foods. You will be given vitamins, minerals and dietary supplements.
You will also need to go for medical check-ups so that your doctor can monitor how well you are healing. After some weeks, you can change from taking only liquids to eating semi-liquid foods and then to solid food.
Engage in soft exercises until you are fully recovered before you can engage in more strenuous exercises. Full recovery after a revisional procedure may take about four to six weeks.
Though revisional bariatric procedures are typically corrective procedures, there are some risks or complications that may occur. Complications are, however, very minimal when the procedure is performed by an experienced surgeon. It also depends on the type of procedure that was performed.
Lap-band procedure has a higher rate of complications with about 10% of complications arising within the first two years including unsatisfactory weight loss. Gastric bypass has a lower complication rate of about 5-10% within the first five years including unsatisfactory weight loss.
The experience and specialty of the surgeon that did the procedure, determine to a large extent the rate of complications that may arise. A revisional procedure done by a very experienced surgeon will yield lower complications and provide better weight result more than a revisional procedure done by an inexperienced surgeon.
Revisional bariatric procedures are generally covered by insurance, however, there are different criteria that should be fulfilled.
Many insurance companies require the dietary history of the patient. Some other insurance companies need to be assured that the patient is suffering from complications associated with the initial procedure. If you are under this category, you will be quickly approved for insurance coverage.
If your reason for undergoing a revisional procedure is because you are not satisfied with the result of your weight loss, you may find it difficult to get approved.
Different insurance companies have different policies that guide their operations, hence you need to call your insurance provider to get more information about this.
The cost of revisional bariatric surgery depends on the specific procedure, medical facility, and other related factors.
The average cost of revisional bariatric surgery is $5,600.
Bariatric surgery is a major surgery that requires the services of a highly skilled and experienced surgeon.
Bariatric surgeons are medical professionals that are trained and skilled in performing bariatric surgery.
You should be careful and make adequate research when searching for a bariatric surgeon in order to choose the best one.
In order to choose the best bariatric surgeon for your weight loss surgery, there are some vital things to check for and questions to ask.
Board certification is a very important factor to consider when choosing a bariatric surgeon. A surgeon that is board-certified is a surgeon that has the right training, skills and experience required to perform bariatric surgeries.
It is best to look for a surgeon who is board-certified in general surgery and a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). A surgeon with this designation means that the surgeon has successfully completed at least 25 ASMBS-approved bariatric surgeries in a year. It also confirms that the surgeon has no history of malpractice claims or any disciplinary actions.
Asking for references from other patients of the surgeon means going to meet other patients that the surgeon has performed bariatric surgery on and also them questions about the surgeon.
These previous patients are the best people to ask questions about the surgeon because they have experienced first-hand how good or bad the surgeon is. They are the right person to tell you if you should choose the surgeon or not. References from them are very important so that you can make the right decision.
The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) is the largest medical organization for metabolic and bariatric surgery.
ASMBS was founded in 1983 with a vision to improve public health and well-being by reducing the burden of obesity and obesity-related diseases.
ASMBS is an excellent organization with educational and support programs for surgeons and integrated health professionals. The mission of ASMBS is to advance the art and science of metabolic and bariatric surgery through continuous improvements in the quality and safety of care and treatment of people with obesity and obesity-related diseases.
ASMBS is a reputable organization that has over 4,000 members including general surgeons and integrated healthcare professionals that are practicing in the field of metabolic and bariatric surgery.
A surgeon that is a member of ASMBS is a reputable and highly skilled surgeon that has successfully completed at least 25 ASMBS-approved bariatric surgeries in a year. As a member of ASMBS, the surgeon has no history of malpractice claims or any disciplinary action.
The experience of a bariatric surgeon is of utmost importance. A bariatric surgeon that has been practicing for several years has more experience than a surgeon that has been practicing for not up to a year.
An experienced bariatric surgeon has performed lots of bariatric procedures and knows the in and out of the procedure. He/she knows the right steps to take and what exactly to do to prevent complications because he/she has performed the surgery over and over again.
Ensure that the bariatric surgeon has been practicing for at least 5 years and has successfully performed at least 100 bariatric procedures. This will give you confidence and assurance that you’re in a safe hand.
Your weight loss goals also determine the specific bariatric surgeon to choose.
Do you want to lose weight because you have weight-related diseases or you just want to shed excess weight and be fit?
Do you want to lose 1-2 pounds every week or more?
How much weight do you want to lose in a month, 6 months and 12 months’ time?
Your weight loss goals will determine the type of bariatric surgery that you need. Some bariatric surgeons specialize in gastric sleeve while some specializes in gastric bypass. Your weight loss goals will determine the bariatric surgeon to choose.
Apart from being obese, do you have any chronic health conditions? You need to inform the surgeon you are considering if you have a chronic health condition.
Obese patients with chronic health conditions are at higher risk of complications and require the services of a highly skilled and experienced bariatric surgeon. If you have a chronic health condition, look for a bariatric surgeon that is highly skilled and experienced in managing your specific condition.
Bariatric surgery is expensive. What is your budget for the surgery? Do you have health insurance that will cover the cost of the surgery?
Your budget for the surgery will determine the quality of surgeon you can afford. Highly skilled and experienced bariatric surgeons charge higher rates than bariatric surgeons that are not very experienced. This is because highly skilled and experienced surgeons are always sought after by patients. They are always busy and have a tight schedule. They also have more credentials and certifications than newly practicing surgeons.
Your budget for both the surgery and follow-up care will determine the quality of bariatric surgeon that you will get.
Where a bariatric surgeon is located is also important. A bariatric surgeon that is located very far away in another state or country may not be right for you.
You need to consider the location of the surgeon and if the location is favorable for you. Do you need to drive to the location or you need to take a flight? How long will it take to get to your destination?
All these are some important questions to ask yourself before making a decision.
Bariatric surgeons don’t accept all insurance plans from all insurance companies. You need to make inquiries to ensure that the surgeon accepts your specific insurance plan and insurance company.
Bariatric surgeries are expensive and you may not be able to pay for the surgery with out-of-pocket cash. You may only be able to afford it with your insurance.
If the particular surgeon you’re considering doesn’t accept your insurance company, it is best to look for another surgeon that will accept your insurance company.
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