Gastric Bypass Reversal: Why Do Patients Choose to Undo a Potentially Life-Saving Surgery?

Answer 1

It is little understood why patients would choose to reverse a surgery which, in essence, gave them the ability to start their life over. As obesity becomes a growing concern in the United States and throughout the world, gastric bypass surgery has become a more common procedure than ever. During the procedure, staples or bands are used to create a pouch in the stomach thereby making the stomach smaller. Food then bypasses not only this part of the stomach but also the area of the small intestine in which nutrients are absorbed. After the surgery, the patient quickly becomes full after consuming smaller amounts of food thus controlling portions and allowing for rapid weight loss.

So then, why would a patient want to undergo gastric bypass reversal surgery? After all, it is quite common for patients to gain almost if not all weight that they have lost right back again. The answer is found in the side effects of the original surgery, many of which can be quite life-altering. However, gastric bypass reversal is an even more complicated surgery than the original gastric bypass procedure and doctors are quite reluctant to perform it except in very rare cases. Surgeons have to cut open the abdomen and remove the staples that were initially placed on the stomach, thus returning the stomach to its original size.

There are many side effects to the gastric bypass procedure which many patients find difficult to cope with. Some of these side effects are cramping and gas caused by post-surgical lactose intolerance as well as nutritional deficiencies caused by lack of nutrient absorption. Because of this, it is necessary for patients to regularly take supplements in order to avoid malnutrition. In addition, since the stomach is now so small, eating more than necessary will cause pain as well as nausea and occasionally, vomiting. Other side effects are muscle loss because of lack of nutrient retention, loss of hair, and an increased likelihood of gallstones.

Clearly, gastric bypass surgery is not without its list of significant side effects. However, due to the high risk of patient trauma during the procedure, gastric bypass reversal has been strongly discouraged.