What to Expect After Weight Loss Surgery

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Weight loss surgery is a chance to start a new life. But like every surgery there are some after-effects to be mindful of ahead of time. There are three common after-effects that you should be prepared for:

Many weight loss surgery patients report experiencing common nausea. This is typical of many surgery types, but is heightened with weight loss surgery largely because of the reduced size of your stomach. For a few weeks after your surgery your doctor will prescribe a very specific diet that you must follow in order for your stomach to promote healing, make you as comfortable as possible and to ensure a positive outcome. Even with this special diet, it is normal to experience a bit of nausea following surgery. The key thing is to track its intensity throughout the day, as well as what foods or activities may exacerbate it.

Fatigue is another common side effect. As mentioned before, weight loss surgery much like any other surgery in that you will feel some level of fatigue during the early recovery days. It is important NOT to push yourself physically during this recovery time, and to listen to your body’s fatigue signals. You body needs as much rest as possible to ensure a successful surgery and positive outcome.

The last side effect you can expect is of course some minor pain. You will have tenderness in the indication area as it heals. Also, you may still feel tenderness in the area of the incision and internally as your body recovers. So be sure to pay close attention to the intensity of the pain, and especially if it is increasing in anyway. If you feel as if your pain is increasing, please call our offices.

Citations & References:

U.S. National Library of Medicine & Medline Plus
Life After Weight-Loss Surgery: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000350.htm

US National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health: Bariatric Surgery: Risks and Rewards: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2729256/

American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
Life After Bariatric Surgery: https://asmbs.org/patients/life-after-bariatric-surgery

American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
Bariatric Surgery Misconceptions: https://asmbs.org/patients/bariatric-surgery-misconceptions

DrFeiz.com
Risks of Surgery: https://www.drfeiz.com/risks-of-surgery.html