Revisional surgery

If you've had weight loss surgery in the past which has not worked, or worked for a while and then failed, or maybe just been plagued by complications, your surgeon may recommend revisional surgery.

It may mean simply adjusting the operation you already have, or converting your previous (failed) operation into another type of operation, or even reversing your previous operation altogether.

Some well known revisional procedures include:

• Repositioning of a slipped gastric band
• Conversion of a vertical banded gastroplasty (the old "gastric stapling") into a modern gastric bypass
• Removal of a failed band, with conversion to a sleeve gastrectomy or bypass
• Converting a sleeve gastrectomy to a gastric bypass

Revisional surgery is usually quite complex and the decision to have it should not be taken lightly. Outcomes are less predictable than after first-time surgery. Due to the potential risks and complications, it should be planned very carefully.