After the obesity surgery, not only will your weight decrease but also your quality of life will increase but there are several steps a patient needs to follow after the surgery. The first step is staying in the hospital for 1 to 4 days. Within this period, the fluid and calorie need of the patient will be provided by transfusing the required liquids into the patient’s body.
After 4 days, the patient can be fed orally. If there is no problem with surgical incisions, the patient is examined and discharged. The second base takes a month, and within this period, the patient will need a nutrition plan to follow. This period begins with clear liquids. Varying to the body mass index of the patient, the patient should take liquids 2.5-3.5 L daily, and 1.5 L of it must be consist of water. After following a diet based on liquids for a month, the patient can start to eat mashed foods. In order to prevent constipation, renal calculus, and other diseases related to dehydration, patients must take a sufficient amount of liquid after obesity surgery. And also, the patient will need to take the supplements below to maintain a healthy life:
Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron, Vitamin B12
Another period of this weight loss surgery lasts about 3 to 6 months and it is important to adapt gradually to regular nutritions during this period. After six months of obesity surgery, the patient starts to eat regular food. The most crucial factor about following this diet is to get the right and sufficient amount of protein and liquid. A patient should take 60-80 mg of protein per day, but this may vary depending on the patient or operation.
Post-surgery Physical Activity
It is important to do exercises in order to maintain weight after bariatric surgery. The type and the frequency of the exercises can change patient to patient. Exercises are also crucial to pursue a healthy and high-quality life after weight loss. A patient should start doing exercises after the doctor’s permission. Patients can walk or climb stairs after the surgery, there is no limit. But it is important not to lift or carry heavy objects in the first 5 or 6 weeks. Patients should avoid sitting for hours, it is important to move around and be physically active during the recovery period.
Pregnancy And Birth Control Pill
Women are usually recommended avoid getting pregnant for about 12 to 18 months after the bariatric surgery which is a period of most significant weight loss after the surgery. The reason why is that obesity surgery can affect your vitamin and mineral levels. If your levels are low while being pregnant, there may be some complications that could harm your baby. It may be a good idea to use contraceptive pills that best suit you.
Drinking Alcohol
These beverages contain lots of calories, so doctors do not recommend drinking alcohol after obesity surgery.
Follow-Up Programs
After the obesity surgery, you will be required to attend regular follow-up appointments for the rest of your life. These appointments will usually be in a weight loss surgery clinic for at least the first 2 years, but later that, you may just need a check-up with a GP once a year. The contents of the program may include some blood tests to check your vitamin and mineral levels, an overall health check, emotional or psychological support in addition to advices on a healthy diet, some supplements such as vitamins and how to exercise properly.
Undergoing such a major surgery is a draining experience both mentally and physically. So, apart from all these health checks and tests, you will be given any kind of support. It may be either an emotional one or something different.
If Obesity Surgery Does Not Work
As well as other types of surgery, problems may occur in bariatric surgeries. Failed bariatric surgery may show symptoms such as diarrhea, weight gain, and other gastrointestinal disorders. There are so many reasons why a bariatric surgery doesn’t work, and some of them are listed below:
- Weight gain
For example, some patients regain weight within 1-2 years after surgery, in that case, they should consult their dietitians before undergoing an operation again.
- Renal calculus
Another problem that may occur after bariatric surgery is renal calculus, and in order to prevent this and other kidney-related diseases, patients must take a sufficient amount of water and go to the follow-up appointments regularly.
- Not following the post-operational diet
Patients need to follow a diet after obesity surgery and throughout their lives. The first six months after the surgery is crucial for the patient and if the patient does not follow the diet doctor gave to him/her, it may have consequences that will affect the patient’s situation and he/she might need to undergo an operation again.
- Insufficient fluid intake
Fluid intake is important not only for patients who have had bariatric surgery but also for all people. But these patients should be more careful about taking the right amount of liquid. Water clears the body from toxins, so it is important to stay hydrated.
- Not doing the required amount of exercise
If a patient does not exercise daily, he/she might gain weight again and might need to undergo surgery for the second time.
- Not taking medicines regularly
Medicines play a huge role in every surgery’s post-op period. Patients should take their medicines regularly to fully recover from bariatric surgery.
- Vitamins and Supplements
Patients must take vitamins and supplements such as Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron, Vitamin B12 (as mentioned above) which help recovering.
- Not taking enough protein
Protein intake is beneficial to weight loss. Patients need to take 60-80 mg of protein to maintain the weight and health after the obesity surgery, and since they have to follow a diet that begins with liquid only and then pureed-soft foods, they need to take as much protein as they can to reach 60-80 mg.
- Healing process
If a patient does not stick to the doctor’s recommendations, the healing process could get worse, and just like other reasons, this could lead to revision surgery. A patient needs to adapt to the new lifestyle after obesity surgery.
- Other complications
There could be complications during bariatric surgery, which may lead to the situation that a second surgery is necessary. There could be an infection, etc. on the incision or there could be leakage, and these may affect the patient and the healing process badly.
- Alcohol intake
Alcohol is harmful to human health and it is much more harmful to a person who has had obesity surgery because these surgeries are done to help a person with obesity to lose weight. These beverages are rich in calories and it is why alcoholic beverages are more harmful to those people with obesity. If a patient continues to drink this kind of beverage after the surgery, he/she will gain weight again, and this may also lead to another surgery or treatment.
- Unhealthy Nutrition
Eating unhealthy foods (or foods that are rich in calories but unhealthy) after the obesity surgery and not following the diet, eating foods that will disturb the stomach can cause problems. Chocolates, cakes, and foods similar to them, refined foods, and foods high in sugar should be restricted by the patient’s dietician or the patient should not consume that kind of food.
