Thread: Bariatric Surgery Aftercare, Risks, and Normal Results

Aftercare

Immediately after the operation, most patients are restricted to a liquid diet for 2–3 weeks; however, some may remain on it for up to 12 weeks. Patients then move on to a diet of pureed food for about a month, and, after about two months, most can tolerate solid food. High fat food is restricted because it is hard to digest and causes diarrhea. Patients are expected to work on changing their eating and exercise habits to assist in weight loss. Most people eat 3–4 small meals a day once they return to solid food. Eating too quickly or too much after obesity surgery can cause nausea and vomiting as well as intestinal “dumping,” a condition in which undigested food is shunted too quickly into the small intestine, causing pain, diarrhea, weakness, and dizziness.

Risks

Studies on the risks of these surgeries continue. A 2003 report showed that gastric bypass surgery risk increases with age, weight and male gender. Patients age 55 and older experienced more complications than did younger patients and male patients had more life-threatening complications than female patients, particularly those who were more severely obese.

Normal results

Many people lose about 60% of the weight they need to reach their ideal weight through obesity surgery. However, surgery is not a magic weight-loss operation, and success also depends on the patient’s willingness to exercise and eat low-calorie foods. A 2003 report showed that super obese patients had a lower success rate with laparoscopic vertical banding gastroplasty than those considered morbidly obese. However, the overall success rate was nearly 77% of patients carrying less than 50% excess weight four years after the procedure.

This is very complicated and I feel sorry for others who needs to undergo bariatric surgery to lose weight and prevent other health risks. I'm sure the pain and the difficulty they have to endure is not easy. After the surgery they still need to go through the correct eating process to avoid any harm on their body.

Yes it really is complicated. I can only imagine how hard it is for them to deal with the condition. It's not going to be easy because there are rules that needs to be followed. However after the pain from the surgery wears off, I'm sure that these patients will feel better about themselves and avoid any other health risks. Self control and commitment to be healthy is indeed important after the operation to ensure a successful recovery .