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Dr. Blackstone explains why some people are unable to lose weight after having gastric bypass surgery and what a doctor can do to fix this.
Dr. Blackstone:
For a gastric bypass patient, the problem usually is, is that the patient has done chronic overeating. So either the pouch has dilated or the opening between the pouch and the intestine has dilated. If that occurs, then what happens is we have to a) figure out what the overeating is, so again, you have to go back to the behavior training.
Once you figure out that piece of it, then you have to decide what’s wrong with the anatomy. Why don’t I have restriction anymore? If the problem is that the pouch is dilated, you can shorten the pouch or make it smaller, which is not a very complicated procedure.
Another thing that you have to do is if that the pouch and the opening between the pouch and the intestine is dilated or big, then what you want to do is band it. So we’ll often go and then put an adjustable gastric band around that. Now you’ve got the best of both worlds, if you will, an adjustable opening size and a small pouch.
About Dr. Robin Blackstone, M.D.:
Dr. Robin Blackstone is a surgeon and Director at the Scottsdale Bariatric Center and Medical Director at the Scottsdale Healthcare Bariatric Program. She is one of the few women surgeons in the world specializing in the Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass. With her practice focused entirely on Weight Loss Surgery, she is committed to providing patients with the very best care possible.
Visit Dr. Blackstone at Scottsdale Bariatric Center