Question:
Why are people having revisions after 10-20 years?

Some have gained back the weight. I don't want to go through this again. i am Pre-op and hoping to have the surgery but if in 10 years i have do this again is it worth it all?    — Theresa B. (posted on October 11, 2001)

October 11, 2001
Therese, you may want to Email some of these people directly to ask them about their specific problems. From what I have read on this board, it seems that most of these people had the older form of surgery referred to as stomach stapling, and they are having that revised to the rny. Weight loss surgery has been evolving for a long time. Some of the older surgeries became ineffective after a while. I've not heard of anyone with the newer rny or ds surgeries requiring a revision.
   — Anne G.

October 11, 2001
I agree with Anne. The revisions are from the 'old, out-dated' style of stomach stapling. These people usually break through their staple lines over the years, which means they open their stomachs up to the previous size and can therefore eat all the food they want and obviously regain all the lost weight and more. Today, many surgeons transect or cut apart the new pouch from the old stomach. There is no 'staple line' so you don't have to fear breaking it open in the future and regaining. Ask your surgeon if he is 'transecting' your stomachs. Best wishes.
   — Cindy H.

October 11, 2001
The way my surgeon explained it was that(refering to staple line disruption) was because the inside of your stomach is very similar to the inside of your cheeks. Its very hard to sew it together and get it to actually grow into individual halves. Thats why many surgeons have chosen to transect the stomach. We tend to get the impression that staple line disruption means they have eaten out there surgery and I just don't think that is true.
   — K T.

October 11, 2001
Hi, I am having a revision next Tuesday and my open rny is not even a year old! I had it 11 mos ago and the stapling came undone at the top of the pouch. I just stopped losing weight after losing 65 lbs. No other symptoms. I was not transected back in November 2000 but I will be this time. I am scared as the pain from #1 surgery can still be remembered. I hope to have this one laproscopily and the #1 surgery was open. Please say a prayer for me. As many of us have said "I'd do it again in a heart beat". I really am doing it again. Scared but happy to at last have a permanent transected pouch, Marilyn in WV
   — Marilyn C.

October 11, 2001
My revision was due to staple line disruption at 5 yrs post-op. I was distal RNY, still am, just a transected pouch now. Some are revised from an older style surgery (and there were 100's), some from proximal to distal for better wt loss, some from distal to proximal for fewer supplements OR there is some other mechanical flaw. I am 7 yrs post-op, still weigh around 110#, or so. Regain is not guaranteed, as long as you remember your condition. If you try to "return ro normal", you WILL return to normal.
   — vitalady