Bariatric Surgery

Archive for the ‘Life after Surgery’ Category

Bariatric surgery is a procedure over 140,000 people has each year to help with weight loss. A major surgery has risks and complications. To help reduce the risk of complications, patients are requested to stop smoking and trying to lose weight prior to surgery. The risks are often results from patients not following the instructions of the surgeon. The risks and complications include but not limited to death, conversion to open procedure, pulmonary embolism, gastrointestinal track leakage, bowel obstruction, bleeding, ulcer, gallstones, stricture, infections, complications from anesthesia, low blood sugar, depression, abdominal pain, chronic symptoms of nausea, vomiting, protein deficiency, mineral and vitamin deficiency, nerve problems, kidney stones, kidney failure, and body image issues.

The risk of death is about 1 out of 300 patients and usually contributed to heart or lung disease as well as pulmonary embolism or gastrointestinal track leakage. The people with high body mass index rates, male patients, and patients with severe medical conditions are the highest risks for death. Pulmonary embolism is a blood clot in the leg that travels to the lungs with most patients experiencing shorting of breath or chest pains while other patients die suddenly. The risk of this happening is 1 out of 100 patients. To help reduce the risks, a blood thinner is prescribed with compression stockings used while the patient is in the hospital. To further reduce the risks, patients are encouraged to walk soon after surgery.

Gastrointestinal track leakage occurs when the bowel and stomach are stapled or connected forms an incomplete seal allowing the bowel contents to empty into the stomach regions leading to serious infections. This risk occurs in only 1% of all patients. The leaks happen within the first two weeks after surgery with the symptoms that include accelerated heartbeat, abdominal pain, fever, and shortness of breath. Conversion to open procedure happens in less than 1 in 200 patients with patients that have high stomach fat. Bowel obstruction or blockages are caused by scarred tissue in the stomach or a kinked bowel. It happens in less than 4% of patients. As with any major surgery, the surgeon and physician for possible complications monitor the patient. When a person notices or suspects something is wrong, they should immediately contact their medical professional.

Bariatric surgery has a special diet for the individuals that had surgery. They need to eat pureed and liquids for the first 12 weeks to allow their stomach time to heal. They are restricted to a clear liquid diet that includes broths, sugar-free jello, and diluted fruit juices. The diet is to refrain from sugary or caffeine foods and liquids.

The next phase of the diet consists of introducing pureed foods for the following two weeks without any sugar additives. This allows the body to slowly introduce solid foods to the digestive tract. Some of the foods allowed at this phase include cream of wheat, skim milk, creamy soup, pureed fruit and none acidic vegetables, and protein drinks as mashed potatoes with a bland gravy.

Slowly adding more solid foods is allowed but only in small quantities to reduce the risks of nausea or vomiting due to the heaviness of the foods. The stomach has been altered to the state of limited space so over eating can result in temporary sickness or feeling ill.

The diet is to consist of high protein low carbohydrates with a multivitamin. The body will need the special nutrition to avoid becoming malnourished. Adding a multivitamin as a daily ritual after surgery is highly recommended for the future to aid in a healthier level of nutrition.

The post surgery bariatric diet is similar to diets consisting of most foods that can be pureed in a blender or the consistency of baby food. Homemade foods can be easily created in tasty manners.
It is recommended to avoid hot or spicy foods or additives. Allowing the stomach to not only heal but to adjust to the new introduction to foods is the most crucial aspect of the post surgery diet. Avoid over eating that may damage the surgical procedure.

The portion size of the meals is considerably reduced so eating more often is essential to the adjustment after surgery. It is important to realize the stomach size has been drastically reduced. The serving size of meals is only a few ounces, which also includes any liquids consumed. Generally, a few bites of food will become the typical meal for patients of bariatric surgery.

One thing that keeps many people who need to lose weight from getting the weight loss surgery is fear of what happens

after bariatric surgery.

What happens after bariatric surgery is of course up to the individual involved and the effort that is put into loosing the weight and keeping it off, but the statistics say most lose at least their goal weight and keep it off for a long time.

Will they feel very sick and run down with no energy?
Will they miss their favorite foods?
Will they have excess skin folds when the weight drops?
Will they gain the weight back?

After bariatric surgery is initially completed a patient is restricted to a clear liquid diet.  This liquid diet can include clear broth or diluted fruit juices and sugar-free gelatin.

This initial diet needs to continue until the gastrointestinal tract is recovered enough from surgery to hold food.  The next diet includes blended or pureed sugar-free diet items such as skimmed milk, cream of wheat, cream soup, pureed fruit and even small amounts of mashed potatoes with gravy.   It’s very important to keep to small amounts of food, but this is made easier by the surgery itself.   Overeating stops because the capacity of the stomach causes nausea and even vomiting if the diet restrictions are exceeded.  As more foods are introduced it’s important to not over eat and still maintain as good a nutritional intake as possible.

Often doctors will recommend a daily multivitamin after bariatric surgery to keep up energy levels.   Studies have shown that after bariatric surgery taking probiotics or the “good” bacteria in yogurts and supplements can help with weight loss.  Probiotics can improve functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and help bariatric surgery patients lose weight faster.

It’s not a bad idea to begin saving for plastic surgery even before having the bariatric procedure.  Because of the quick loss occurring after bariatric surgery removal of excess skin is usually needed. Insurance companies will probably not be a help, but saving up and choosing a good plastic surgeon specializing in body lifts is a good way to maintain a positive body image.

It should be remembered that despite some of the side effects and life changes caused during and after bariatric surgery this is one of the fastest, effective weight loss measures available.