Band over Bypass

Band Over Bypass:  Failed gastric bypass (whether by a less than expected weight loss or weight re-gain after gastric bypass) can create health risks for those who expect a long-term dramatic weight loss.  Regardless of where patients had their surgery,  the gastric bypass can fail for any number of reasons.  A failed weight loss procedure can be defined as:  less than 50% loss of excess weight, an intolerance to normal foods, signs that the overall quality of life is diminishing, or acquiring additional health issues that were caused by the procedure.  One of the contributing factors may simply have been the experience of the doctor who performed the original surgery. There is a ‘learning curve” for most operations. Bariatric surgery has one of the longest.  Depending at what state the surgeon was at that time in their career the pouch may not have been properly sized.  With the number of gastric bypass operations being done every year increasing (16,000 in 1992 to 220,000 in 2008), there are now thousands who fit in these categories.  The wonderful news is that there is now a highly successful, safe option for gastric bypass patients that have been “left behind” in their weight loss.    A revision with Lap-Band surgery over the previous gastric bypass may be the answer.   Whether you have regained weight after a gastric bypass or you never lost the expected weight, placing a Lap-Band over your gastric bypass can give you back the restriction that you felt in the first months after your gastric bypass.  The gastric band will give you the tool necessary to restore your ability to limit your food intake and promote a feeling of fullness (satiety) after meals.  This procedure is also considered safer than traditional revisional procedures.    As with primary Lap-Band surgery, lapband placed over gastric bypass operations can most often be placed laparoscopically even if your initial gastric bypass was done open!   

Click on this video to watch an animation of the Band over Bypass procedure

By placing a Lap-Band around the bypass, we can control the outlet of the stomach via the tightness of the band and restore the restriction that you may have lost over time or give you the restriction that your may have never had. 

Adjustable gastric banding is a restrictive type of weight loss surgery.

During laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding or Lap-Band or Realize band surgery, two medical devices are implanted into the body. A silicone band is placed around the upper stomach and an injection port is attached to the abdominal wall under the skin. The port is connected to the gastric band with tubing. The silicone band is lined with an inflatable balloon that can be filled with saline via the access port in order to adjust the size of the stomach opening. Adding fluid tightens the band and increases weight loss, while removing liquid loosens the band and reduces weight loss.

A consultation with Dr. Garber or any of the surgeons at The New York Bariatric Group can help determine the reason for failure of your gastric bypass and the various options available to you.  At The New York Bariatric Group we have one of the largest experiences in the world with Band over Bypass and have presented our results at national meetings.