For years, men and women seeking to lose weight turned to gastric band surgery as their weight-loss surgery of choice. Relying on a minimally invasive technique and offering loss of up to 60% of unwanted pounds, the gastric band technique seemed to be everything most patients were looking for.
Unfortunately, gastric band surgery hasn’t quite lived up to its expectations for many men and women who’ve had the surgery. Some patients have failed to achieve their weight-loss goals, or they’ve gained weight back afterward, while other patients have experienced unwanted side effects or complications.
For these patients, Michael Renfrow, MD, FACS, and Steven Kanter, MD, FACS, frequently recommend gastric band revision surgery, a state-of-the-art technique used to remove the band, so patients can select another weight-loss surgery method, like the gastric sleeve. If you’re unhappy with your gastric band experience, here’s how to tell if revision surgery could be a good choice.
Gastric band surgery uses an adjustable, flexible, inflatable band to partition a small part of your stomach, helping you feel full faster so you eat less. The doctor inserts the band through tiny incisions in your belly.
The band sections off a small part of your stomach, preventing food from entering the larger part. While the band automatically helps you eat less (a lot less), you also need to practice healthy eating habits and eat much smaller portions.
The band is also adjustable, so it can accommodate your eating habits as you approach your weight-loss goal. Once you reach that goal, the band can be removed without damaging your stomach.
While gastric band surgery can produce satisfactory results for some patients, other men and women find they don’t lose as much weight as they’d hoped to lose. That can happen if the band slips or stretches out and the stomach pouch enlarges, which means smaller portions are no longer satisfying.
Poor weight-loss results are just one reason for a revision surgery. Other reasons include:
Sometimes, all that’s needed is a band adjustment. But often, revision surgery is performed to remove the band entirely.
Since gastric band surgery is completely reversible, you might decide to have a different type of weight-loss surgery to help you achieve your goals. Both Dr. Kanter and Dr. Renfrow frequently recommend gastric sleeve surgery to reduce the size of the stomach. The type of surgery they recommend for you depends on the results of a physical exam, a review of your lifestyle, and other factors.
Weight-loss surgery offers real, meaningful results for many women and men looking to lose weight and improve their overall health and wellness. If you've had a bad experience with gastric band surgery, don’t give up. As top-ranked surgeons in Miami, Florida, Dr. Renfrow and Dr. Kanter can help you find a solution that works for you.
To learn more, call 305-279-9522 or book an appointment online at South Florida Surgical Group today.
