Question:
Would I call a by-pass surgery a "new surgery" , if I had a previous stomach stapling

I had the stomach stapling 10 years ago and still have problems with some foods, but not often and can still eat regular portions. (you never have the "dumping" with the stapling) I have gained all my weight back and wish to now have the by-pass procedure. Would that still be considered a revision?    — Dana H. (posted on December 31, 2005)

December 31, 2005
The answer to your q is yes. Even though the name of the procedure is different, it is a revision of your old procedure and replaced with something else. Stappling has not been successful with many as the stapples tend to come out and your are left with basicslly nothing much to help you reduce your portions. The procedure that you are considering reduces the ammount you can eat as well as change the way you absorb your nutrients. So your new tool is doubly helpful. But and a big but, is this, if you don't want a failure this time round, and yes you can regain your old weight if you ae determined enough, you MUST FOLLOW THE RULES. Your new surgeon will give you his protocol to follow and you must do this. Some of it relaxes when you are at goal, and parts of it will be a maintainance program to be followed for life. There is no surgery today that you can totally abrogate all responsibility. Your surgery is not a cure, only a tool I wont wish you luck, for that has nothing to do with it, It is all up to you. I do wish you well and hope you can keep up what you started. Welcome to 2006 and welcome to the new you.
   — Lise K.

December 31, 2005
From what I understand, anything that you "switch" to after your initial procedure would be considered a revision. I don't think that it necessarily means that it has to be the procedure that you started out with. Good luck to you! Stephanie Helgren Open RnY September 27, 2001 300/ 150/ 150
   — Stephanie H.

December 31, 2005
I also had the old stapling 15 years ago and when I had gallbladder surgery 4 months later they disrupted my staple line when they put the tube in me during surgery. At that point I had lost almost 70 pounds. Of course I gained it all back plus because my normal hunger came back. So it doesn't always happen because you don't follow the rules. But the other poster was right, it sure can happen that way too! In fact, the diet they gave me was to drink lot's of sugar filled juices and things doctors would cringe at today. I didn't do that, I ate baby food. lol. But getting the bypass is still considered a revision. I have already been to my surgeon so I know this to be true. It also has to be done OPEN like the first time due to the scar tissue I have from the first surgery. So I know what it's going to feel like. But at this point I would welcome the pain. By the way, if you are looking into this, I would make an appointment with a doctor asap in case you need a 6 month doctor supervised diet because of your insurance. My company failed to mention this to me and now I have to start one this month. Had I known, I would have been just finishing up the diet . As it is, I just received a denial of coverage from CIGNA due to this very reason. Good luck if you decide to get the revision!
   — Sandy~Diamond

January 2, 2006
Dana, I have several friends who have had a very similar story to your own. In fact, you could go to www.bodybybaltasar.com and go to the Photo Gallery. Choose the link for Sharon C. - she had stomach stapling over 20 years ago and had it converted to the DS almost 3 years ago. The woman is beautiful and thrilled with her new life! (She's also just the sweetest thing you'll ever meet!) It's of course discouraging to have your surgery fail you! BUT, the very cool thing is that oftentimes, for people who have a non-malabsorptive WLS to start with, then choose to have a malabsorptive procedure (RNY or DS) done, their weight loss is as dramatic as a first-time WLS'er. Be sure to choose a surgeon who is HIGHLY experienced at handling conversion surgeries. You want someone who has no hesitation about giving you the particular surgery that you believe is the right one for you. And if it were me, I'd look for a surgeon who has a host of very successful post-ops of the procedure you are seeking done (i.e., conversion from stomach stapling or VBG to RNY or DS). Look for folks who are at least 2 plus years post-op. You want to know what life is like after the honeymoon! Best of luck to you! Blessings, dina
   — Dina McBride