What to expect after gastric bypass surgery

Life after Weight Loss Surgery

After a weight loss surgery, postoperative care is crucial. Assuming the surgery successful, the weight loss begins almost immediately, with a noticeable reduction within 3 months of surgery. Your excess weight will level off within 2 years and you can expect much healthier life after that. A few discomforts may arise but will get away after some time. It is important to follow up with the surgeon, at least once a year after 12 months of surgery and more often before that.

Post-Operative Expectations

Following the surgery, your surgeon will closely watch your health for 24 hours. He will teach you to do postoperative leg exercises to make your blood circulate better and prevent the clot formation. After 2-4 days, you will be discharged from the hospital. Your surgeon will provide you a detailed postoperative plan including referrals of dieticians and support groups and exercise programs based on your individual needs to help you lose weight.

You may experience some shoulder pain, abdominal pain or nausea for first few days. If these symptoms persist beyond 1 week, see your surgeon.

You can resume your normal routine within 3-5 weeks following surgery. You can even start going to your work by this time. However, the duration of absence from work depends on the nature of your job. Your surgeon will discuss with you the time frame to avoid specific activities.

What you should expect during first 3 months of surgery?

During first 3 months after the surgery, the intake of food will be less so you may experience digestive problems such as intolerance of food, sluggish bowel movements, nausea or vomiting. Some of the patients also experience a transitory loss of hair and muscle mass, due to nutritional deficiencies. As your dietary intake improves, in 6 months to 1-year you will find most of the symptoms will get away.

As far as the weight loss is concerned, provided the surgery is successful, there will be a dramatic decrease in body weight during the first weeks after the surgery. On an average, patients lose about 10 pounds per week. After 3 months of surgery, there is usually an average weight loss of 50 pounds in severely obese individuals.

What you should expect for rest of life?

After a successful weight loss surgery, patients usually bottom out their surplus weight in 2 years. After 5 years of surgery, they lose 50-75% of their initial body weight.

With a decrease in body weight, obesity-related illnesses such as Type 2 diabetes, gout and heart problems also improves and there is a significant decrease in prescription drugs patients were taking before the surgery. The life span increases by 3-4 years. Emotional, employment and societal situations usually improves as well.

Since the procedure has several complications associated with it, some negative changes are possible as well. However, it is not possible to anticipate them. No surgeon can predict the future complications at the time of surgery.

Life Style Adjustments after the Surgery

Several lifestyle adjustments are required after the surgery:

• Since the quantity and contents of diet will be different, you will have to get lunch from home. The eating times also changes.
  You need to cut back alcohol consumption strictly.

• Regular exercise is important to achieve the goal of weight loss. However, avoid strenuous exertion for a minimum of 6 months after the surgery.

• You will have to take special care of your skin following the surgery since skin problems are frequent owing to a rapid weight loss and nutritional deficiencies.

Annual health checkups

After the surgery, you will need to follow up with your surgeon each year. During these checkups, the surgeon will assess your health status and advise you accordingly. You will also need to see a dietician during these annual health checkups to ensure you are getting the necessary nutrition.