Overview of bariatric surgery
Revisional surgery is an important component of addressing weight regain and
complications following primary bariatric surgery. Owing to provincial need and
the complexity of this patient population, a specialized multidisciplinary revision clinic was developed.
Bariatric surgical procedures cause weight loss by
restricting the amount of food the stomach can hold, causing malabsorption of
nutrients, or by a combination of both gastric restriction and malabsorption.
Bariatric procedures also often cause hormonal changes. Most weight loss
surgeries today are performed using minimally invasive techniques
First, similar to most bariatric procedures, the newly
created stomach pouch is considerably smaller and facilitates significantly
smaller meals, which translates into less calories consumed.
During the past two years, a number of
new minimally invasive methods for revising bariatric operations laparoscopic ally have come
onto the scene. Although the risks associated with the new techniques are quite
low, preliminary weight loss results are similar to those of the operations
performed 20 years ago. A critique of these new approaches is found below.
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is injection of a
glue-like substance via an endoscope in and around the stretched anastomosis to
make it smaller. Moreover, because the glue alters the tissue where it’s
injected, subsequent surgical revision is likely to be more hazardous.
Endoscopic/Endoluminal Suture Plication
This refers to the narrowing of the circumference/size of
the stretched anastomosis using either sutures or metal fasteners which are
placed through an endoscope.
Banding the Bypass
This is the placement of a laparoscopic
adjustable band above the stretched anastomosis/stoma. Subsequently,
this procedure functions like a primary LAP-BAND operation.
Selecting the Right Operation
Choosing the appropriate revisional procedure is probably
more important than selecting the first bariatric
operation. This is because it’s crucial to know or ascertain why the first
operation failed.
Advantages of bariatric surgery
1. Produces
significant long-term weight loss (60 to 80 percent excess weight loss)
2. Restricts
the amount of food that can be consumed
3. May
lead to conditions that increase energy expenditure
Disadvantages of bariatric surgery
1. Is
technically a more complex operation than the AGB or LSG and potentially could
result in greater complication rates
2. Can
lead to long-term vitamin/mineral deficiencies particularly deficits in vitamin
B12, iron, calcium, and folate
3. Generally
has a longer hospital stay than the AGB
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