Our clinic is seeing more and more people who are regaining weight after their gastric sleeve surgery. In fact, it is estimated that up to one in three people can regain all their weight within five years of gastric sleeve surgery.
One of the current options being touted as a rescue option for the person gaining weight some years after gastric sleeve surgery is the Mini-gastric bypass. This procedure is also known as the Omega loop gastric bypass or single anastomosis gastric bypass.
This procedure may well stimulate further weight loss. It is done with keyhole techniques and requires two nights in hospital. It involves joining the small bowel directly to the previous gastric sleeve so that food does not pass through the whole length of small bowel , therefore the name, gastric bypass.
The risks of this procedure include:
- Weight regain over time
- Narrowing of the join between bowel and stomach, requiring repeated trips to hospital for dilation
- Twisting of the bowel requiring re-operation
- Malnutrition leading to osteoporosis, foot drop and fragile teeth
- Reflux requiring further surgery
- Constant nausea from dumping syndrome.
Therefore, gastric bypass, although it creates weight loss, does come at a price of multiple potential complications over a lifetime.