Gastric Band To Gastric Bypass

While a gastric band can be an effective way of losing weight, sometimes patients can find that it’s not helping them to lose as much weight as expected. And occasionally patients can find a band causes clinical complications or discomfort. If that’s the case for you, you might find that converting to a gastric bypass is the solution.  

This procedure removes the gastric band and converts your surgery to a gastric bypass. By reducing the size of your stomach and re-routing the path digested food takes to the small intestine, the amount of food you can eat and the calories you can absorb is reduced, and so you lose weight. 

• Could help you lose 71-72% of excess weight 
• Could help you achieve your goal weight loss 
• Could help relieve nausea and acid reflux caused by the gastric band 

• Can eliminate pain or discomfort in the gastric band port area 
• No requirement for band fills and aspirations 
• Could resolve issues with band erosion or slippage 
• Stops your body absorbing as many calories 

• Bleeding 
• Infection 
• Vomiting 
• Gallstones 

• Low blood sugar 
• Hernia 
• Ulcers 
• Dumping syndrome (causes diarrhoea, nausea and/or vomiting) 
• Gastrointestinal leakage 

• Bowel obstruction 
• Malnutrition because of poor nutrient absorption 
• Stomach perforation 

As you’ll be given general anaesthetic before your conversion surgery, you won’t be aware of anything as you’ll be asleep during the procedure. 

At the start of the gastric band to bypass revision operation, your surgeon will make small incisions in your abdomen. The gastric band will then be removed through these.  

You may either have your gastric bypass procedure during the same operation, or separately at a different time. At your consultation, you’ll discuss all the aspects of your procedure, and your surgeon will give you their recommendation depending on your individual circumstances. 

When they’re performing the gastric bypass, your surgeon will begin the procedure by making a cut across the top of your stomach. This will create a small pouch about the size of a golf ball, and this is where the food you consume will go. The next step is to cut the small intestine, with the lower part being connected to the new pouch. To help drain digestive fluids from your stomach, they will then reconnect the rest of your stomach and upper small intestine lower down. 

To finish the procedure, the surgeon closes the incisions before you’re taken back to your room to start your recovery.  

You might decide to have gastric band to bypass conversion surgery if your gastric band is proving ineffective in delivering the weight loss your expected, or if you’ve regained weight after an initial loss. Gastric banding can also be associated with various complications over time, including band slippage, erosion, or leakage, which can lead to discomfort, difficulty eating, and other health concerns. Revision surgery to a gastric bypass can help to address these complications.  

Gastric bypass surgery is often associated with better long-term weight maintenance compared to a gastric band, so you may choose revision surgery to improve your chances of keeping weight off for longer. 

Weight regain or complications from gastric banding can negatively impact your quality of life – if so, revision surgery to a gastric bypass might help to enhance your overall well-being. 

Once you’ve had your surgery, you’ll start off your recovery with an overnight in hospital before you’re discharged and able to return home the next day. 

In the first few days after your procedure, it’s normal to feel some discomfort and the surgical area is likely to be swollen initially. Symptoms like these should begin to ease off as your body adjusts and recovers. In the meantime, suitable painkillers will help.  

As with all kinds of bariatric surgery, following the guidance and instructions that we give you regarding your post-surgery diet is vital if you’re to recover well and achieve the weight loss results that you’re looking for. Typically, this will mean that you’ll have a liquid-only diet for the first 2 weeks, and then progress to pureed food in week 3 and soft food in week 4. 

If you work, you should plan to take about 2 weeks off. At about the 6-week point, you should be sufficiently recovered to resume your usual daily tasks and start exercising.