If you’ve hit a weight loss plateau or have experienced inadequate weight reduction after your primary vertical sleeve gastrectomy, or if you suffer from severe acid reflux (GERD) as a complication of VSG, you may be a candidate for gastric sleeve revision surgery. Your surgeon can perform an endoscopic sleeve revision procedure that tightens the stomach pouch to restore a sense of fullness and satiety.
Weight Reduction
Some people don’t achieve the weight loss expected from gastric sleeve surgery. This can happen for a variety of reasons. Their behavior may change, or their stomach might stretch out over time. Revision surgery can help those patients get back on track and reach their goals. The revision surgery involves reducing the size of your stomach pouch to restore restriction. This can be performed as a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure. Your doctor will insert an endoscope (a narrow tube with a camera and light on the tip) through your mouth and advance it into your stomach. The surgeon can then use sutures to create plications or folds in the stomach to decrease its volume.
In some cases, you may also need a second operation to remove the gallbladder, a cholecystectomy. This is often necessary to reduce the risk of complications from your sleeve gastrectomy, including bile reflux and difficulty swallowing. Another way to regain weight is by eating too much after the surgery. You must learn to balance your meals and take daily nutritional supplements to avoid this. However, some people find they cannot eat enough because of the restrictive nature of their sleeves. To overcome this, your doctor may convert your sleeve to a gastric bypass or duodenal switch, which provides greater weight loss results than a sleeve gastrectomy. The remarkable gastric sleeve revision success rate is a testament to their effectiveness in helping individuals achieve their weight loss goals and enhance their overall well-being. Patients who undergo these revisions often experience significant weight loss, resolve complications, and enjoy improved health, ultimately leading to a better quality of life. This positive trend in the success rate of gastric sleeve revision provides hope and encouragement for those on their journey to improved health and sustainable weight management.
Reduction in Symptoms
Many patients who have sleeve revision surgery experience significant relief in their symptoms, such as reflux. Some patients also experience weight loss that plateaus or increases after a sleeve gastrectomy. In these cases, a vertical sleeve revision to gastric bypass or duodenal switch procedure may be the best option to help them achieve their weight loss goals. During the revision process, the surgeon will tighten the dilated stomach sleeve. This minimally invasive outpatient procedure uses stitches to restore the initial size of the stomach sleeve. Then, patients will follow a liquid diet until they can safely eat soft foods. After this, they will begin adding solid food to their diet. During this time, they will receive nutritional education and dietary guidelines to help them increase their odds of success. Suppose you have a sleeve gastrectomy and are experiencing problems such as vomiting, pain or difficulty swallowing. In that case, you should consider a sleeve revision to gastric stapling or a laparoscopic gastric bypass. Both procedures can give you the satiety and long-term weight loss you seek. However, it is important to remember that you will still have to maintain a healthy lifestyle to succeed in your weight loss journey. This means that you must adhere to your prescribed diet and exercise regularly. It is also a good idea to join a support group that can offer you motivation and guidance to stay on track with your weight loss goals.
Improvement in Health
While most sleeve patients experience weight loss success, some may regain some or all of their lost weight. This is typically due to returning to old habits or stretching out their stomach pouch. For these patients, a sleeve revision is an effective solution to help them continue toward long-term weight loss success. During gastric sleeve revision surgery (GSRE), the surgeon uses an endoscopic procedure to adjust the patient’s stomach pouch. The stomach pouch was reduced to a sleeve-like shape during the initial bariatric operation, and the GSRE is designed to adapt its size to ensure that patients cannot eat as much food at once. Some individuals may experience GERD after sleeve gastrectomy and revision surgery can be used to address this issue. It can also be performed to reduce the stomach pouch size to promote satiety and treat complications such as leaks, strictures, or ulcers. If you have experienced significant weight regain after a sleeve, a surgeon can perform an endoscopic sleeve revision surgery to help you get back on track with your weight loss goals. This is a minimally invasive procedure that can be completed in less than an hour while you are under sedation. Your surgeon can add an adjustable band to your sleeve, lengthen the Roux limb, or convert to a duodenal switch, which combines restriction with malabsorption.
Improved Quality of Life
Sleeve gastrectomy is a surgical procedure that reduces stomach size, limits food intake and promotes early satiety. Many patients meet their weight loss goals following the surgery and experience improved quality of life. However, some individuals have difficulty with the procedure and may need a revision. You can benefit from a gastric sleeve revision if you struggle with post-operative complications like reflux. Modifications are typically less complex than the original operation and tend to have a lower complication rate than other bariatric procedures. A qualified surgeon can perform revision surgeries, including adding a band to increase effectiveness.
Depending on the issue, a sleeve gastrectomy revision can involve reshaping the stomach pouch, performing a conversion to another form of bariatric surgery or adding modifications to improve your results. The best way to determine whether or not gastric sleeve revision is the right option for you is to undergo a comprehensive assessment and obtain counseling to analyze your risks and benefits. While around 80-90% of patients who undergo sleeve gastrectomy reach their weight loss goals, some undergo revision surgery. If you experience weight regain or have complications with your initial surgery, a sleeve sleeve revision can help you achieve better long-term success.