Can You Reverse / Reattach a Gastric Bypass?

With as much as bariatric patients research bariatric surgery, we often get some fascinating questions. Despite more procedures coming to market in the United States, there is plenty of curiosity about bariatric procedures performed in the past that are still being performed decades later, not least the gastric bypass. One interesting question we are sometimes asked revolves around whether the gastric bypass can be reversed or reattached. To understand this, it’s worth noting that when the restrictive portion of the gastric bypass is performed, about 80% of the stomach is cut away but ultimately left in the abdomen. It no longer receives food but continues providing essential gastric juices to metabolize the food consumed.

With that said, some patients who had a gastric bypass decades ago or others who may be considering it in the future wonder if the gastric bypass can be reversed.

The short answer is that, in theory, we could operate to reattach the cutaway portion of the stomach and reset the small intestine so that the stomach was approximately the shape and size of the pre-surgical pouch. However, this is rarely performed, and for good reason. There is a high chance of complications, primarily if the bypass was performed many years prior.

Revisions

If you have a gastric bypass and you are no longer getting the sense of fullness that you once were. In other words, you’ve gained a significant amount of weight and are eating more than you expect; the distinct possibility is that the stoma or outlet from the stomach into the small intestine may have widened. The stoma is created during the anastomosis or connection of the small intestine to the stomach during the original procedure. Over time, and with a liberalization of diet, this can expand. The result for most is the possibility to eat more, which ultimately causes weight gain. Many patients may also feel the effects of dumping syndrome or rapid gastric emptying when the food they consume drops into the stomach and small intestine more quickly and less digested.

Fortunately, revising a gastric bypass is relatively straightforward. It consists of simply rebuilding and reinforcing the stoma, which is typically done endoscopically using various procedures like the TORe or ROSE. Recovery is rapid and straightforward, and most patients start losing weight again, returning to their previous goals.

In Summary

If you regain weight after your gastric bypass, speak to our team to learn more about your options. Many patients feel embarrassed or ashamed that they have regained their weight, but the sooner they talk to their bariatric surgeon, the sooner we can intervene and get them back on track.