Sterling Surgicare Bariatric Center

If You Need an Operation After Weight Loss Surgery, Read This

June 26, 2015 by Ayotunde Adeyeri

By Dr. Ayotunde Adeyeri, Medical Director, Sterling Surgicare, Holmdel, New Jersey

During the course of our lives, many of us will need some kind of GI (gastrointestinal) surgery—gallbladder or appendix removal, hernia repairs or more serious issues related to the colon. Special care should be heeded to patients who have previously undergone weight loss surgery due to anatomic changes as a result of the procedure.

It’s also important to note that bariatric surgeons specialize in performing most general and laparoscopic operations (unrelated to the bariatric surgery) in the torso region of the body. 

I recently had a case where my bariatric patient had his gallbladder removed by a general surgeon who was not a bariatric surgeon. Why? He didn’t realize that I also perform gallbladder surgery at least 2-3 times per week. Unfortunately, this patient experienced post-op complications which I was able to address successfully.

This incident compelled me to ask other post-op patients here in NJ what they would do if they needed an operation in the GI region. When one patient told me she would ask me for a referral, I knew I had discovered my article for this month’s Obesity Help post!

“Really? I thought you only performed weight loss surgery,” many of my patients remarked.

If you are facing an operation in the abdominal region, contact your metabolic and bariatric surgeon first, so long as you satisfied with their quality of care. They have been specially trained to successfully treat most medical issues safely and successfully. In addition, they are well versed in your new anatomy and how best to manage your care.