The following identifies
areas that will be important for patients to follow after weight
loss surgery:
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The modifications made to your gastrointestinal
tract will require permanent changes in your eating habits that
must be adhered to for successful weight loss. 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. The following are some
of the generally accepted dietary guidelines a weight loss surgery
patient may encounter:
- 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.
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 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 these activities within a few weeks.
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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.
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 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.
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 The
widespread use of support groups has provided weight loss surgery
patients an excellent opportunity to discuss their various personal
and professional issues. Most learn, for example, that weight loss
surgery will not immediately resolve existing emotional issues
or heal the years of damage that morbid obesity might have inflicted
on their emotional well-being. Most surgeons have support groups
in place to assist you with short-term and long-term questions
and needs. Most bariatric surgeons who frequently perform weight
loss surgery will tell you that ongoing post-surgical support helps
produce the greatest level of success for their patients.
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