By Dr. Seun Sowemimo, MD, FACS, FASMBS
But the unrelenting stress of Covid-19 caused some people to gain weight due to:
• Fear and chronic stress
• Indefinitely delayed life plans like weddings, school, vacations
• Financial pressures or job loss
• Worry about family and friends
• Limited access to fitness activities due to lock-down
• Battling Covid or caring for diagnosed loved ones
People who had bariatric surgery also faced these stressors; others delayed the removal or replacement of gastric lap-bands that no longer supported their weight loss.
If your weight gain is less than 25% of your maximum weight loss after weight loss surgery, call us to schedule a Back-on-Track appointment to discuss non-surgical options to take off the extra weight. Your solution may be as simple as scheduling nutrition visits with Lori Skurbe, our staff bariatric dietitian, and reviving a steady exercise routine.
But if your weight gain is more significant (30 pounds or more) or steadily increased even before Covid-19, a bariatric revision can jumpstart weight loss again.
First and foremost–Don’t beat yourself up about weight gain–it’s been an immeasurably difficult year for everyone.
The important thing is not to resign yourself to where you are right now but to take action and resume control of your health.
Prime Surgicare is a Judgement-Free Zone
This is not the time to be embarrassed or feel that you have failed. Obesity is a disease that can affect every aspect of your health and your life. It is a chronic medical condition that can literally determine your lifespan.
We don’t judge, especially after bearing the brunt of the pandemic.
Your Prime Surgicare team is here to help you–especially when times are challenging and you need extra support.
Since April, we’ve seen a steady stream of patients and new patients who are ready to battle back and lose the added weight. For people who have regained more than 30 pounds after a bariatric operation, revision bariatric surgery can be an ideal opportunity to reignite weight loss to get the scale moving downward again toward a normal BMI.
What is a Bariatric Revision?
Revision bariatric surgery alters or repairs a previous operation. Most of the revisions we perform at Prime Surgicare are for patients who:
- Experienced significant weight regain
- Experienced medical complications
- Unable to manage the lap-band’s ongoing maintenance requirements (ongoing office visits)
These patients often opt for a re-sleeve or change from their original procedure to gastric bypass.
Revision Surgery General Criteria
To be considered for revision weight loss surgery, you should have one or more of the following qualifications:
- Significant weight regain
- First bariatric procedure is more than 3-5 years old and/or is no longer performed
- Poor overall weight loss results
- Complications from the original operation such as:
- Staple line compromised (Roux-en-Y).
- Stomach has dilated over time.
- Persistent vomiting or dumping
- Ulcers
- Slipped lap bands (see below)
Gastric Lap Band Slippage
In the past few years, we have helped many patients who eventually sustained health issues and reduced weight loss or significant regain related to their lap bands. Today, we no longer insert lap-bands at Prime Surgicare.
Complications can include:
Food Consumption Changes
You may notice a decrease in appetite, being able to eat more than usual or unexplained discomfort during and after eating.
Nausea or Vomiting
When the band on your stomach slips, it can be difficult for food to pass through. This may feel like there is food trapped in your prolapsed stomach, causing your body to want to expel the trapped food, leading to vomiting.
Acid Reflux
Feeling heartburn-like symptoms is a sign that your stomach acids are coming back up your throat from the stomach (esophagus). This can lead to chest pain, bloating, burping, choking at night during sleep and other GI discomfort.
Abdominal Pain
Some patients with gastric banding slippage describe it as “something isn’t right” in their stomachs. They can complete normal daily tasks but don’t feel healthy.
READ: Learn more about lap band removal at Prime Surgicare
If You Gained Significant Weight After Bariatric Surgery, Call Us
Let’s have an in-person talk where you bring us up to speed about your situation. Then, together, we will formulate an action plan for the future.
Contact Prime Surgicare’s bariatric team at 732-414-2707 to make a prompt appointment at or Jackson or Freehold offices to discuss your future weight loss goals and identify options that will help you achieve your ideal weight quickly and safely.
If you are new to bariatric surgery or need a refresher about the process and different weight loss surgery operations, register for one of our Zoom-based free monthly bariatric webinars for more information.