Weight-loss surgery isn’t a magic pill, or a quick fix to lose a lot of weight. Just ask anyone who has had bariatric surgery and they will tell you it is a lot of work.
And, like anything that requires a lot of work, there are times when it can be too challenging. When you feel like giving up.
“That's something we stress with our patients- no one's going to be perfect,” says Alan Schurict, MD, FACS, Penn bariatric surgeon. “Everyone's allowed to have that digression every once in a while.”
This means exercising and making healthy food choices most of the time.
“Post-operative success is a bell shaped curve,” says Dr. Schuricht. “And just like in school, not everyone gets A's, not everyone gets B's, some people get C's and they're happy with it. But there are some that fall behind the curve.”
The important thing, he says, is that you recognize it, and get back on track immediately.
“If you exercise enough you can make up for eating bad once or twice a week,” says Dr. Schuricht. “If we make people so miserable that they don't want to do what they need to do, they're not going to do it. It’s human nature, so you have to find that balance between having fun once in a while, enjoying life, and making sure that you stay on track.”
However, there are occasions when getting back on plan isn’t enough. Some patients Dr. Schurict and the Penn Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery team see require revision surgery, or a second bariatric surgery.
“We see quite a few revision band surgeries, or people who have fallen back into unhealthy habits, and need their band adjusted, or removed to have a sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass,” says David Wernsing, MD, FACS, bariatric surgeon at Penn. “Whether their issues are just in affected weight loss or, you know, complications from the band itself, we do see a lot of revisions related to the band. However, we have other patients who are super stars of the band and are doing great.”
Learn how Penn Medicine can help you lose weight for good
Let Penn Medicine help you lose weight. Learn about weight-loss surgery and if weight-loss surgery at Penn is right for you at a free information session.