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When your weight is threatening your health, mobility, quality of life and longevity, bariatric surgery is often recommended. But it’s not a walk-in-walk-out and wait for the pounds to melt away kind of procedure. For the surgery to be successful, you have to do your part by eating a healthy diet, practicing portion control, and making exercise a regular part of your life.
Most people who undergo bariatric surgery for weight loss experience significant changes in appetite and weight loss within the first couple of months. After a couple of years, an estimated 90 percent of all weight loss surgery patients have lost 50 percent of their pre-surgery excess body weight without gaining the weight back, according to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
But what happens if you don’t lose weight, experience complications, or notice that you’re eating larger and larger portion sizes again, despite your best efforts to stick to the plan? It could just be your body’s way of adapting to the lap-band, gastric bypass surgery, or sleeve gastrectomy surgery. But complications could also be signs something is wrong that can only be corrected with a follow-up surgery, also called revisional bariatric surgery.
You may need revisional bariatric surgery if you experience:
Weight Gain – You should gradually lose weight during the first 1 to 2 years after surgery, and then maintain your weight loss. Minor weight gain after initially losing weight is normal, but if you’re still gaining weight or start packing on the pounds again, check with your doctor.
No Change in Appetite – An effective bariatric surgery should improve satiety and help you control portion sizes. It’s not normal, if you’re always hungry and have the ability to eat as much food as you did before surgery.
Frequent Nausea/Vomiting – After your initial surgery, it’s not uncommon to experience some nausea and vomiting as your body adapts to changes made to your stomach. But it should only be temporary.
Stomach Pain – Recurring or constant abdominal pain after bariatric surgery is typically an indicator of a problem related to the initial surgery.
Heartburn – You may develop heartburn or acid reflux disease after certain bariatric surgical procedures. In many cases, acid reflux disease can be treated with dietary changes and medications. If these interventions don’t seem to help, revisional bariatric surgery may be necessary.
Difficulty Swallowing – If you’re having trouble swallowing after bariatric surgery, it’s probably not from trying to eat large pieces of food. If eating slowly, chewing your food well, and avoiding doughy breads and overcooked meats doesn’t help, you may need a lap-band adjustment, medication or revisional bariatric surgery.
If you experience any of these symptoms after bariatric surgery that don’t go away, or develop after a successful weight loss period, check with your doctor to find out if revisional bariatric surgery can help. Contact the team at New York Bariatric Group today at 800-633-8446 or click the Live Chat button in the top right of the page to learn more about our revisional bariatric surgery procedures.
