vagotomy post-op gastric bypass surgery

Question
I am 4 years post-op Roux-N-Y(85 lb loss) and in the past year I have gained 25 lbs. I've been reading about the vagus nerve. Is it possible to have a vagotomy after RNY? Thank you for your reply.

Answer
Marybeth,
Weight regain after bariatric surgery is a major problem, and I'm sorry to hear about your situation.  For sure, you should make a follow-up appointment in the near future with your surgeon, if you haven't already.

It is possible to do a vagotomy (divide the vagus nerve) after gastric bypass.  I'm sure your question comes from some recent research papers that have raised the possibility of doing a vagotomy as part of a weight loss procedure.  Honestly, I am a bit skeptical about whether this will improve weight loss to any significant degree.  I recommend that you not pursue a vagotomy for weight loss at this time, and wait for some additional data to become available.

Best of luck!
Dr JP

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