Complications or problems from weight-loss surgery are rare, but if they do occur, they can be very serious. Performing corrective (revisional) surgery on a patient who has had a bariatric procedure such as a sleeve gastrectomy, gastric banding or gastric bypass is different than doing so on other patients because their anatomy has sometimes been altered.
Dr. Shieh is nationally renowned and has performed many corrective surgeries to fix problems like worn or slipped bands, corroded staples and dilated gastric pouches. In fact, He is among just a handful of surgeons nationwide that perform these types of surgeries. Some corrective procedures can even be done laparoscopically without the traditional long incision. Your surgical team can also work with patients whose problems can be eased by adjusting their diet or lifestyle.
Common symptoms that indicate a gastric bypass patient may have a revisional problem are:
Chronic Nausea
Vomiting
Abdominal Pain
Weight Regain
These symptoms may be caused by a “blind limb” (see figure below) at the base of a gastric pouch. A blind limb is the abnormal development of two channeled pathways where the foods and liquids you swallow can travel. What you eat and drink should flow through your original alimentary “roux” limb but sometimes gets stuck in the blind limb, triggering nausea and other symptoms.
