Life After Surgery

Before Sugery | Hospital Stay | Life After Surgery | Lap Band Patient Surgery Diary | FAQ

After surgery is the where the motivation, commitment and dedication plays an important part in the long term success of the weight loss surgery. The following identifies areas that will be important for patients to follow after their procedures.

Diet
The modifications made to your gastrointestinal tract will require permanent changes in your eating habits that must be adhered to for successful weight loss. Below are general dietary guidelines, Dr. Goyal will provide a more detailed dietary program post-surgery.

• When you start eating solid food it is essential that you chew thoroughly. You will not be able to eat steaks or other chunks of meat if they are not ground or chewed thoroughly.
• Don't drink fluids while eating. They will make you feel full before you have consumed enough food.
• Omit desserts and other items with sugar listed as one of the first three ingredients.
• Omit carbonated drinks, high-calorie nutritional supplements, milk shakes, high-fat foods and foods with high fiber content.
• Avoid alcohol.
• Limit snacking between meals.
• You will need to change your eating habits that have developed over decades. Using measuring spoons and measuring cups with each meal can help develop good habits.

Note: Post-surgery dietary guidelines will vary by surgeon. You may hear of other patients who are given different guidelines following their weight loss surgery. It is important to remember that every surgeon does not perform the exact same weight loss surgery procedure and that the dietary guidelines will be different for each surgeon and each type of procedure. What is most important is that you adhere strictly to your surgeon's recommended guidelines.

Going Back to Work
Your ability to resume pre-surgery levels of activity will vary according to your physical condition, the nature of the activity and the type of weight loss surgery you had. Many patients return to full pre-surgery levels of activity within six weeks of their procedure. Patients who have had a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure may be able to return to work within two weeks.

Birth Control & Pregnancy
Patients should not get pregnant for 18 months after surgery. It is strongly advised that women of childbearing age use the most effective forms of birth control during the first 16 to 24 months after weight loss surgery. The added demands pregnancy places on your body and the potential for fetal damage make this a most important requirement. Pregnancy is safe following the stabilization of weight after 18 months.

Long-Term Follow-Up
Although the short-term effects of weight loss surgery are well understood, there are still questions to be answered about the long-term effects on nutrition and body systems. Nutritional deficiencies that occur over the course of many years will need to be studied. Over time, you will need periodic checks for anemia (low red blood cell count) and Vitamin B12, folate and iron levels. Follow-up tests will initially be conducted every three to six months or as needed, and then every one to two years.

Exercise Program
Exercise on a regular basis is necessary lifestyle change after surgery. Exercise includes a sense of well being, increase overall energy, and minimizes muscle breakdown. Walking daily until you can walk thirty minutes without stopping is mandatory after surgery.