Gastric bypass surgery: What happens if I regain the weight?

If you regain the weight that you lost after gastric bypass surgery, another surgery may be an option. First, though, your doctor must determine why you regained the weight. You may have weight gain after gastric bypass surgery because of unexpected but natural changes in your stomach and intestine that allow you to eat more and absorb more calories. But it's also possible that your diet and exercise habits have slipped, in which case you must typically lose the regained weight the old-fashioned way — by reducing your calorie intake and increasing your physical activity.

A second surgery to repair — or redo — a gastric bypass has an increased risk of complications, including infection, bleeding and leaks in the gastrointestinal tract. Because of these risks, gastric bypass surgery usually isn't redone if you regain weight because of poor diet or exercise habits — and your health insurance probably won't cover it in this case, either.

Gastric bypass surgery can be an effective treatment for obesity, and most people do lose weight after the procedure. But you'll always be at risk of regaining weight you do lose, even years later. To help reach your weight-loss goal and prevent weight regain, it's crucial to make lifestyle changes along with having gastric bypass surgery.

If you begin to regain weight after gastric bypass surgery, talk to your doctor. You may need a thorough evaluation that includes medical, psychological and lifestyle factors that could contribute to weight gain.