Oftentimes, the postoperative instructions given to patients are incorrect or lacking. Therefore, the patient did not know the best way to use their new “tool”. Even though the patient may be out of the “golden period” for rapid weight loss, they can benefit from proper instruction and guidance.
Weight loss history following the initial surgery tells us if the operation was ever effective or if it was unsuccessful from the very beginning. If postoperative weight loss never occurred or was minimal, it is likely that there was a technical problem with the operation, and surgical revision may be able to correct the problem at the root.
Likewise, complications occurring after the surgery may have led to technical problems that have influenced the durability of the weight loss. Such complications may include intraabdominal infections, ulcerations, band infections, and prolonged vomiting postoperatively. Considering bariatric surgery as a “tool” to be used for long-term weight loss, we must determine if the patient has used their “tool” ineffectively or if the patient’s “tool” does not work. If the “tool” has not been used effectively, we can work with the patient to maximize the effectiveness of the “tool”, before moving forward with revisional surgery. However, if the “tool” is broken or never worked, then a revision may be beneficial.