Bariatric Surgery

Patients who have experienced complications or negative effects as a result of weight-loss surgery may require additional procedures to correct the original operation, called revisional weight-loss surgical procedures. UI Health is one of the few hospitals in the country with bariatric surgeons experienced in performing these corrective procedures.

Goals of the Revisional Weight Loss Surgery:

• Correct the problem that brings a patient under our care. It is common for our patients to have received their first bariatric operation from a different operating surgeon.
• Make the revisional weight-loss surgery a definitive procedure. This will be further discussed with each type of procedure we revise.
• Accomplish the primary goal of the weight-loss surgical procedure: Maintain a weight that is within a favorable range, and resolve the patient's comorbid conditions.

Reasons for Revisional Weight Loss Surgery:

Bariatric surgery can metabolically and/or mechanically fail the patient. Mechanical failures are caused when the anatomical changes made during the original bariatric surgery are not maintained. Examples include:

• The pouch may stretch and become larger
• The outlet of a gastric pouch may increase in diameter
• A gastrogastric fistula may form between the gastric pouch and the bypassed stomach
• The intestine may increase its absorptive abilities beyond what was expected
• Restriction may decrease as a result of Lap-Band slippage

Co-morbidities also can remain after bariatric surgery. These generally are related to the factors causing metabolic failure, as co-morbidities are strongly associated with metabolism. Cases involving unsatisfactory resolution of co-morbidities require a similar approach as cases of metabolic failure, usually requiring conversion of the failed bariatric procedure to a more metabolically active bariatric surgery type.

Other conditions that will lead to revisional surgery.

• Lap-Band failure
• Pouch enlargement
• Sleeve failure
• Gastrogastric fistula
• Weight regain

Our Location