Band on Bypass
For most patients, the gastric bypass is an excellent operation. It can, however, sometimes lose its effectiveness. This is because the stomach pouch (or the opening it empties through) becomes over-stretched with time.
Treatment of the failed gastric bypass is fraught with difficulty. Results using traditional re-stapling approaches have been disappointing. We have largely abandoned these less successful surgical procedures and are at the forefront in the UK of developing new, less invasive techniques such as the Band On Bypass (BoB) procedure.
The BoB procedure involves placing a conventional gastric band around the mid-portion of the over-stretched stomach pouch. This shrinks its capacity and slows down the rate at which it empties. The aim is to reduce hunger and bring back the sensation of fullness that is gradually lost if a bypass fails. We presented some of our initial encouraging results at the British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society meeting in January 2013.
The reasons why the stomach pouch stretches can be complex, so it’s important that patients considering this – or any type of revisional (‘re-do’) surgery – are thoroughly investigated beforehand.
Weight regain is often associated with a history of unhelpful eating habits, frequently driven by underlying psychological or emotional issues. Phoenix Health have developed a multi-disciplinary approach to the failed gastric bypass which involves expert surgical review, special x-rays and intensive input from our bariatric dietician and psychologist.
