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Know Your B.M.I.

Your Height (in C.M.):
Your Weight (in K.G.):
Your B.M.I.:
This Means:

Recovery & Aftercare Step 4

Bariatric Surgery Recovery

You can expect to be discharged from the hospital about 2-4 days after your bariatric surgery.

It's not uncommon to feel weak and tired for a few days after your discharge from the hospital. Your body is still recovering from the stresse of surgery. Additionally, the feeling of weakness may be prolonged as your body begins to shed excess KILOS.

Discharge Instructions
  • You may shower at your leisure.
  • Do not drive for 1-2 weeks.
  • Do not attempt any strenuous activity, particularly heavy lifting, for approximately 4-6 weeks.
  • Walk as much as you wish, and climb stairs if needed.
  • You can return to work anywhere from 1-6 weeks after bariatric surgery. If your work is sedentary, you may return to work 1-2 weeks after your surgery. If your work is more physically demanding, we recommend waiting up to 4-6 weeks after your bariatric surgery before returning to work.
DODON'T
Sip liquids.Don't gulp liquids.
Chew solid foods until finely ground.Don't swallow large pieces of food.
Stop eating at the first feeling of fullness-learn this signal well!Don't eat beyond the first feeling of fullness or discomfort.
Spend more time eating and chewing.Don't eat too fast.
Drink enough liquids.Don't forget about the smaller capacity of your new smaller stomach.
After first post-op visit, follow a new menu of soft solid foods as instructed.Don't eat when you're not hungry.
Expect to experience an occasional episode of regurgitation during your transition from liquids to soft solid foods.Don't eat lean meats, fibrous vegetables, and pulpy fruits until other solids are well tolerated.
Add only one new food at each meal.Don't eat several new foods at one time (if problems develop, the offending food will be hard to identify).
Crush pills and tablets for the first 3 weeks.Don't worry about the minimum calorie intake-the goal of surgery is restriction of total calorie intake and sustained weight loss.

If vomiting occurs, stop drinking and eating until the feeling of nausea passes. After the nausea disappears, resume drinking liquids before attempting to eat solid foods.

Repetitive vomiting to the point where liquids cannot be retained is rare. If you experience this, you should immediately contact your operating surgeon .

Follow-Up Care

Postoperative bariatric follow-up care after any weight loss surgery is extremely important.
Patients who regularly keep their follow-up visits almost always lose more weight than those who skip their follow-ups.

Why Is Bariatric Follow-Up Care So Important?

Your scheduled post-op follow-up visits are important for a variety of reasons.

1- Weight loss after sleeve gastrectomy generally occurs over a 12-18 month period, while weight loss after gastric bypass occurs for as long as 18-24 months. Follow-up care and instruction will help maximize your success.

2- Counseling by the dietician, who's experienced in treating patients after gastric restrictive operations, is important in making the transition from liquids to soft solid foods. Additionally, our dietician will emphasize the importance of making appropriate food choices in order to maintain a balanced diet and avoid the high calorie liquids and soft foods which can undermine your operation.

Remember, any bariatric procedure can be nullified if you consume too many calories.

Your follow-up visits are also necessary to help us recognize vitamin and iron deficiencies in the early stages of your weight loss so that appropriate treatment can be given. If you miss your regularly scheduled follow-up visits and the required post-operative blood tests, you can eventually develop vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Schedule of Post-operative Visits

Typically, you'll attend four to six follow-up meetings during your first post-surgery year. Post that, visits are scheduled at six to twelve month intervals for an indefinite period of time.

  • First visit: Scheduled 1-2 weeks after bariatric surgery.
  • Second visit: Scheduled 3-4 weeks after bariatric surgery. A new solid diet is prescribed.
  • Quarterly visits: Scheduled at approximately 3 month intervals for the first year after the operation.
  • Annual / biannual visits: Scheduled at 6-12 month intervals after the first year. Follow-up will continue annually for an indefinite period of time.

Preparation for Surgery Long Term Outlook