Gastric surgery regain - What percentage of weight loss surgery patients regain weight?

Weight regain is one of the gastric surgery problems. According to Nia Mitchell, MD et al., almost 40% of adults in the US are suffering from obesity and the number is constantly rising thus bariatric surgeries gain popularity. Studies exhibit that more than 90% of patients who underwent a bariatric surgery lose more than half of their excessive weight.

The most popular bariatric surgeries are the Roux-en Y gastric bypass (RYGB) which so far was the most frequently chosen surgery but it gave the way to a newer, less invasive procedure which is sleeve gastrectomy. Although RYGB surgery is less frequent, there are numerous post-RYGB patients who did lose weight during the first years after the surgery, yet are regaining weight about 8 to 10 years later. So what percentage of gastric bypass regain weight is?

“The average person who undergoes gastric bypass will eventually regain 20 to 30 percent of the weight they initially lost. About a third of patients will gain back nearly all of their lost weight,” says Pichamol Jirapinyo, MD, MPH, an advanced endoscopy fellow in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endoscopy of the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH).

Reasons for weight regain after gastric bypass surgery

Patients may make some mistakes during weight loss surgery recovery. There are a few factors that are responsible for insufficient loss weight or gaining weight after weight loss surgery. Resolving these issues before the procedure can change the undesirable results.

1. Weight before the surgery- trying losing weight before the surgery may seem pointless as it is the surgery that helps losing weight. However, losing some extra kilograms before the surgery will not only minimize the risks of complications and weight regain but it will also lower your BMI.
2. Alcohol or drug abuse- it is not uncommon that substance abusers are more prone to come back to their old habits after the surgery. Additionally, combining alcohol and some drugs may be a source of bariatric complications.
3. Insufficient support of family, friends and support groups, lack of consultations with the surgeon
4. Psychological condition after the surgery- food urges and reduced well-being after the surgery are strictly related to weight gain. Moreover, food addiction is also a major cause of weight regain following the surgery.

Check this article and learn more about revision weight loss surgery.

Weight loss surgery weight regain statistics

Keeping track of regained weight after the maximum amount of weight loss following the surgery may indicate if a patient may be at risk of some health problems. The findings published in JAMA also state that participants who took part in the study gained maximum weight loss two years after the surgery and about 20% of them continued to lose weight for more than four years after the surgery. However, regardless of the maximum weight loss, regaining weight occurred in the first years after the procedure which may indicate that treatment of this issue is inevitable.

“Clinicians and patients want to know the extent of weight regain following bariatric surgery and how it may affect their health. However, the lack of a standard measure of weight gain and variable follow-up has led to inconsistent results across studies,” concluded Wendy C. King, Ph.D., associate professor in Pitt Public Health’s Department of Epidemiology. “Our study will help clinicians and patients understand the timeline, magnitude and impact of weight regain, as well as lead to further studies on how to best avoid and manage weight regain for better health outcomes.”

Studies conducted by King and her colleagues on 1406 adults who had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass monitored their weight about 8 times over 6 years. The participants were also registered in the National Institutes of Health-funded Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery-2 (LABS-2)

Additionally, not only the percentage of weight loss which was regained was taken into consideration but also BMI ( percentage of weight before the surgery. lowest weight after the surgery and weight regained). In order to evaluate health effects, the team examined the progression of diabetes, high cholesterol, and blood pressure. Other factors were a loss in physical and mental health and how much the patients were glad about the gastric surgery results.

After when each of the factors was assessed together with all the health outcomes, it was found that the percentage of weight loss was strictly connected with health outcomes. “Our study can help providers identify the best way to calculate weight regain after bariatric surgery to identify more specifically the patients at risk for recurrence or new onset of health problems,” concluded senior author Anita P. Courcoulas, M.D., M.P.H., chief of minimally invasive bariatric surgery at UPMC. “It highlights the importance of longer-term, close follow-up to help maximize weight and health results following bariatric surgery.”

During the first year after maximal weight loss, 10% of patients encountered progression in diabetes, 26% high cholesterol and 46% high blood pressure. Moreover, above 20% of patients experienced a decline in physical and mental health and about 12% were not satisfied enough with the results of a weight loss surgery.  After maximum weight loss which takes about 5 years the proportion of those suffering from negative health results move up to 35% for diabetes, 86% for high cholesterol, 72% for high blood pressure, over 30% for a decline in physical and mental health issues and about 30% for dissatisfaction with the surgery.

Although, the number of those who regain weight dwindle over time,  patients carried on to put on weight throughout the LABS-2 follow up, which means that the issue of weight regain should be addressed. It is also of great importance to create tools for patients and providers to identify and comprehend the influence of post gastric bypass regain.

How to avoid weight regain after weight loss surgery

Following our tips, you will avoid possible gastric surgery side effects.

1. It is advisable for you to find and join a support group – i is said that those who participate in a support group meetings tend to have 10% lower BMI than those who do not
2. Refrain from binge eating before the surgery- according to some findings those who suffer binge eating disorder are prone to lose less weight following the procedure. Looking for treatment for BED before the procedure may contribute to less weight gain after gastric bypass in Poland
3. Shed some excess weight before the surgery- the percentage of those who maintained at least half of their excess weight 10 years following the surgery is 15% higher among those with morbidly obese ( BMI from 40 to 49.9) than in those with super obesity ( BMI 50 or above)
4. Tackle alcohol or drug abuse issues to keep from weight gain following weight loss surgery abroad and prevent complications. The issue of alcohol and drug abuse will be raised during the psychological evaluation before the qualification for the surgery thus you need to be honest with a psychologist so that if any issues will come up
5. Stick to your surgeon’s recommendations. It may seem to be obvious however you may be stunned by the fact that many patients slowly cede to stick to the advice and after a year or two they give up.
6. You should tackle the issue of food urges and lack of wellbeing if they started to become an issue before the surgery. If you notice that food urges have become more severe or you feel that you are emotionally unstable after the surgery, you should contact your surgeon straight away. Those who suffer from these conditions and do not try to solve them they are more likely to put on weight. A good option for you would be also joining a support group apart from meetings with the surgeon and psychologist so that you will overcome these problems easily. “Patients who actively participate in support groups have about a 10% lower body mass index than patients who go it alone.”
   
7.  Do not stop getting nutritional guidance- those who keep track of their diet with the aid of a professional achieve better long-term results. In many cases, a bariatric surgeon will recommend you or work with a nutritionist or any dietician who will help you with following the weight loss surgery diet. The main principle to achieve success is to have constant contact with them, thus the gravity of this situation cannot be ruled out.

If you are considering cheap gastric bypass for weight loss you need definitely consider Poland as one of the destinations. With highly experienced surgeons and newly equipped hospitals, your stay will be comfortable.  If you would like to know the answer for the question “do gastric bypass patients regain weight” and why affordable gastric bypass may be a good solution for you, do not hesitate but contact Beauty Poland- our customer advisor will be glad to help you with. Like in any other weight-loss surgeries, preparation for weight loss surgery is of great importance in order to achieve the most desirable results. Therefore, prior knowledge of the procedure and looking for all the information if there are reversible weight loss surgery options is of vital importance.

Sources:

1. www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/weight-gain-after-gastric-bypass.html
2. www.medicalxpress.com/news/2018-10-amount-weight-regain-bariatric-surgery.html

Marek

Marek is a great fan of medical tourism. He believes that medical tourism is a huge chance for many people, who cannot afford treatment in their home country.
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