What does a revision treat?

Failed or “sloppy” sleeves will not achieve the desired results. Bariatric surgery with re-sleeving treats obesity, metabolic disease, sleep apnea, and diabetes. Bariatric surgery can also reduce high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and lower the risk of heart disease and heart failure. ^{4, 5, 6}

Is gastric sleeve revision safe?

OCC has the highest patient health ratings and safety standards that exceed most American hospitals. Certified by the Joint Commission, and a certified International Center for Excellence. Very few international hospitals achieve this status, and many American hospitals do not.

Why revise a gastric sleeve?

Gastric sleeve surgery, or sleeve gastrectomy, has become the most popular procedure in bariatric surgery. Sleeve gastrectomy is a highly effective metabolic and weight loss procedure. Still, like any other type of bariatric surgery, a small percentage of sleeve patients may only experience initial weight loss or may even regain some of it a few years after the surgery.

It’s normal for the stomach to expand over time after a sleeve gastrectomy.

Much of the initial minimal gastric capacity is related to the inflammation and scarring that occurs during the recovery time, which can take six to eight months to resolve. ^{5, 6}

After this time, the stomach regains elasticity and relaxes to accommodate more food. This increase in capacity usually allows most patients to eat a third of a typical meal. In most cases, the reduced capacity is sustained, or increases very little in the following years. Many patients eat less than half of the food they consumed before this revision surgery.

The procedure steps

After introducing a calibration tube, surgeons perform the stapling portion of the sleeve gastrectomy (cuts, seals, and removes part of the stomach) on any stretched or dilated gastric sleeve segment. In some cases, we extend the sleeve due to proximal or distal portions that the previous surgeon didn’t divide into precise anatomical landmarks. After the completion of the extension, we suture the stomach with strong non-absorbable material. The greater curvature of the stomach is in-folded close to the calibration or sizing tube, creating a perfect-sized gastric sleeve and adding protection to any stapled areas. In some other cases, the size of the gastric sleeve may not allow further stapling. Still, gastric plication reduces stomach capacity compared to the previous sleeve gastrectomy. ^{4, 5, 6}

How gastric sleeve
revision works

Obesity Control Center, the leading medical tourism destination in Tijuana, Mexico, can correct technical issues with a sleeve gastrectomy with a revision surgery or Sleeve Rescue™ featuring the IGS Improved Gastric Sleeve® that resizes the sleeve to a smaller size with and combined procedure that involves stapling (“re-sleeve”) and suturing (gastric plication). With a high success rate of over 26,000 successful surgeries in Mexico performed, we are a world-leader in safe and effective bariatric surgery. We are proud to have four full United States-based accreditations for health and safety in gastric sleeve revision surgery and tightening.

Meet with us.

If you have concerns about traveling to Mexico for surgery, read our reviews and "meet" other patients in our support group, and speaking with other OCC patients will reassure you.

We can set up phone or zoom consultations with our surgeon. Our goal is a happy, successful, healthier patient that refers their friends and family to OCC and shares their experience with others.

There is no greater compliment than when an OCC patient refers their friends, family, or associates to us, and it happens every day.

Your new life – OCC can help.

These are safe and effective methods for providing adequate restriction through surgical intervention, allowing for solid food and the best weight loss results without generating nutritional problems or other chronic complications.

At OCC, our bariatric surgeons are among the world’s most respected professionals in the field. Every person is different, and the results vary, patient to patient. Our success is the result of decades of research, and a focus on achieving improved surgical results and a faster recovery time.

First, a sizing or calibration tube is placed in the stomach to provide a template for the surgeon. Some bariatric surgeons prefer a small, medium, or even large calibration device. If a surgeon uses the larger calibration device, there will be more stomach capacity after the healing process. If the capacity of the stomach reaches 2/3, it can lead to weight regain and excess weight. Another technical factor concerns the use of stomach staples. If a surgeon isn’t careful about positioning the staples, the bariatric surgery may result in a larger stomach with greater capacity.

This technical error can also make it difficult to lose weight and often leads to weight regain. Some bariatric surgery patients have a technically perfect procedure, but the capacity of the stomach increases to the point of causing weight regain. This increase could be due to a bariatric patient’s unique elastic capacity of the stomach. In other words, the stomach pouch can stretch or relax to hold more food in some people, which leads to weight gain. Learn more about your revision options here. ^{4, 5, 6}

GASTRIC SLEEVE REVISION &
TIGHTENING FAQS

Can the procedure resolve heartburn or acid reflux?

One of the most common complaints from sleeve patients after their initial procedure is the discomfort of ongoing gastric reflux. In more than one study, the development or recurrence of a hiatal hernia after a sleeve gastrectomy leads to gastric reflux. During a gastric sleeve revision procedure in Tijuana, MX, we can repair the hernia with a quick and very low-risk procedure that yields excellent results for acid reflux control.