Second Time Around: Why Bariatric Revisions Are Sometimes Needed
The overwhelming success and safety of bariatric surgery compared to diets and medication is well known to the medical community. However, a surgical revision of a previous bariatric surgery is sometimes necessary. Around 15% of bariatric patients will proceed with revision, and this number is on the rise due to the sheer popularity of bariatric surgery. There are several important factors which influence the need for revision, including complications from the original surgery, suboptimal lifestyle or eating choices leading to weight regain, or weight loss, which wasn’t quite as much as expected. In many cases, surgical revision is a great option for the original surgical tool to become effective again. In other cases, a different procedure altogether will be considered. While surgical revision may have higher complexity and potentially more risk than the original procedure, this is generally a reasonable and safe option for patients to consider.
