Revision Weight Loss Surgery In Melbourne
Conversion to Other Weight Loss Operations
Many patients may require further procedures having already had a form of weight loss surgery.
Creating Lasting Behavioural Change with Weight Loss Surgery
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Revisional Weight Loss Surgery
Revision (or corrective) weight loss surgery is a procedure to help correct problems associated with weight loss (bariatric) surgery.
The most common reason for revision weight loss surgery is insufficient weight loss after the initial weight loss surgical procedure. But patients also might need corrective weight loss surgery because they have gained weight or have complications from a first-time weight loss surgery.
Reasons for Revision Weight Loss Surgery
Problems with anatomic changes of weight loss surgery, including:
- An enlarged gastric pouch opening, which can prevent weight loss and promote weight gain, as seen in this X Ray.
- A large gastric pouch, which can prevent weight loss and promote weight gain
- An increase in intestinal absorption of calories, which can prevent weight loss and promote weight gain.
- A slipped gastric band, which can cause nausea and vomiting or destroy stomach tissue.
- An erosion of lap band, which causes loss of restriction and weight regain.
- Leaking staple lines, which can cause abdominal pain, back pain, pelvic pressure, hiccups, fever, and a rapid heart rate.
Revising Your Lap Band
If a gastric band has failed to produce significant and sustained weight loss, or you gave developed complications of prolapse or erosion,my preference is conversion to gastric bypass in appropriate patients.
Sleeve gastrectomy is another option however in this context probably has a similar risk profile to gastric bypass but bypass has been studied in much more detail after banding than sleeve and may be more durable in the long term.
Lap Band Revision is done in Two Stages
Studies have shown this to be a safer option associated with lesser chance of leaks.
Please come in for a consultation to find out what will be best for you.
Revising Gastric Stapling
I’ve had a gastric stapling operation which isn’t working as I had hoped.
In most cases we can offer you an alternative procedure. Our advice and that of the majority of international experts in the field is the conversion of your stapling procedure into a gastric bypass. This is a very major operation in someone who has had previous abdominal surgery and may not be able to be performed by keyhole (laparoscopic) technique.
There are risks of complications from this procedure and this will be discussed with you in full at your consultation.
Majority of patients who have had their gastric stapling converted have had very significant weight loss and a much improved quality of life.
Risks Associated with Revision Weight Loss Surgery
You must be aware that complication rates of revisional procedures are greater than those where previous surgery has not been performed and we will discuss this with you in full and openly at consultation before going ahead with any further procedure.
Some of the risks of revision weight loss surgery can include:
- Longer surgery time.
- Open incisions.
- Blood loss.
- Infection.
- Leaks.
Experience Matters
Revisional bariatric surgery is difficult to perform due to its high complexity and complication rate. The risks associated with revisional procedures are in some cases more than 10 times greater than with primary/first-time bariatric procedures.
However, the outcome of the majority of revisional operations is generally favorable when in the hands of an experienced bariatric surgeon. Furthermore, appropriate selection of patients for revisional operations by an experienced practitioner is more likely to improve the outcome.
Will you do my revision if another surgeon performed the original operation?
Absolutely. Revisional bariatric surgery is one of our specialties, so it’s quite common for our patients to have received their first bariatric operation from a different operating surgeon.
The team at Melbourne Gastro Surgery have been recognised for their exceptional and major contribution to the Government sponsored Bariatric Safety Registry (BSR) which tracks surgical complications” and furthermore provides an unbiased safety record for weight loss surgery.
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