Gastric Sleeve Reversal: Is It Really Possible?

If you start to notice prolonged or persistent issues after your gastric sleeve surgery despite your best efforts to deal with these issues, you may need to explore reversal or revision options.

Certain weight reduction techniques can be reversed, but not all of them, and doing so can carry a higher risk of problems, depending on the nature of each technique. The general rule says that surgical procedures are considered “irreversible” if they include the removal of a piece of the stomach.

Compared to weight reduction procedures that don’t include the use of a device (such as an intragastric balloon or band), procedures such as gastric sleeve may have a reduced probability of reversal.

Is Gastric Sleeve Reversal Possible?

Although sleeve gastrectomy has become more popular among people because of its effectiveness in battling obesity, some people still hesitate to think about it because the procedure cannot be reversed.

After all, your surgeon removes around 75 and 80 percent of your stomach, which can't be brought back again using any surgery.
It’s extremely challenging to reverse the operation since the missing portion can never be repositioned.

The permanent nature of sleeve gastrectomy is one of its main disadvantages according to many observers. There's no turning back once the stomach's major volume is surgically removed. This implies that for patients to successfully maintain their weight over the long term, lifestyle modifications must be their main focus.

Some patients who encounter difficulties or desire to look into weight loss treatments may feel anxious or regretful about not being able to undo the procedure.

However, patients who are not losing enough weight or who are having serious issues may want to think about switching to a gastric bypass or duodenal switch procedure.

These choices provide other methods to manage weight, but they do not reverse the initial process. Reversing a gastric bypass is possible and well-tolerated. Many issues that may arise after gastric bypass can be treated and most patients get symptom relief, as per research.

Gastric Sleeve Revision

A gastric sleeve cannot be reversed by a bariatric surgeon. However, if you are experiencing uncommon or serious issues after the surgery, you might ask about having the procedure redone or revised.

Inadequate weight reduction is another reason to consider this step, particularly if your pre-surgery BMI was in the 55–60 range. Following a comprehensive assessment, your bariatric surgeon will be able to decide if it would be best to convert the procedure—rather than reverse it—by executing a “gastric bypass”. In this situation, you could require a duodenal switch or other "second stage" procedure.

Why Do People Seek Gastric Sleeve Revision?

Following gastric sleeve surgery, a patient may request a revision for the following reasons:

Serious Acid Reflux

Rarely, people may develop severe, persistent heartburn or GERD that is unresponsive to treatment. Patients who experience this issue often have been suffering from heartburn issues before having the procedure. The solution, in this case, is to switch to gastric bypass.

Not Enough Weight Loss

It’s possible that some patients won't lose as much weight as they have been hoping, and this may prompt them to think of another bariatric surgery. After gastric sleeve surgery, patients may be converted to gastric bypass or duodenal switch for further weight loss. This may be perfect for those with a BMI of 50 or above.

Related Article: Low BMI Gastric Sleeve

Weight Regain

Following gastric sleeve surgery, a patient may lose weight at first but subsequently start to gain it again. Occasionally, this happens as a result of the “pouch” extending from repeated overeating or when the restrictive approach is insufficient. The surgeon may decide to incorporate the malabsorptive component of a gastric bypass or duodenal switch, or they may tighten the pouch once again.

Hiatal Hernia

Overweight people may also have hiatal hernias, which don't cause any symptoms until after gastric sleeve surgery. While some hernias can be repaired easily, in some other cases the issue could require a revision gastric bypass.

Other Health Issues

The weight reduction may complicate or be impacted by certain medical issues, such as liver illness. In certain instances, reversing it might make these situations better.

What Irreversibility Means for Your Health?

Since this kind of surgery is permanent, you need to be aware of the long-term dangers and repercussions to optimize the results and meet your long-term weight reduction and health objectives.

Your body starts to adjust to the lower volume of your stomach after the surgery. Revising the treatment might result in malabsorption, pain in the gastrointestinal tract, or even an increased risk of nutritional deficiencies. You might want to think about different options because of these and other issues.

Patients who have had most of their stomach removed tend to eat smaller meals, which can lower their intake of vital vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. To avoid deficiencies, you should stick to ongoing nutritional supplements. Following the procedure, iron, vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D, and folate deficits are frequently reported by patients.

To make sure patients are receiving the support they need to deal with these inadequacies, regular monitoring and follow-up visits with a physician are very important steps.