LIFE AFTER GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY

What should I expect after the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery?
You will be on a clear liquid diet for the first few days immediately following gastric bypass surgery, and then advance to a pureed diet. These foods must be very soft so they can pass easily through your new and smaller stomach. One of the main issues during this period will be adequate fluid intake, and dehydration can be a problem while you are recovering from the surgery. You will need to take in at least 32 ounces of liquid a day before leaving the hospital.

About one month after surgery you can expect to advance to a transitional diet. You will begin to eat more regular table foods, but may still go back to eating pureed foods if they are more easily tolerated. Once your diet begins to consist of more solid food, remember to chew each bite very slowly and thoroughly.

It will take some time for you to learn how to eat differently. This includes chewing carefully, learning to drink most liquids between meals rather than with meals, and learning that eating the wrong foods such as junk food or fatty foods can make you sick.

You will experience the most rapid weight loss in the first few months after Roux-en-Y surgery. Although you may lose close to 20 pounds a month, you also may experience a significant decrease in energy, as the amount of calories you are consuming is considerably less than what you were used to. You will need to be careful not to eat too much too quickly and side-effects such as diarrhea can be controlled by avoiding certain foods or by taking specific medications. Hair loss is also a symptom of rapid weight loss but usually begins to grow back within a few months.

Six months after the surgery you will probably be on a long-term maintenance diet, which is more or less what and how you will eat for the rest of your life. The maintenance diet for the most part consists of regular table foods, but in smaller portions. Most patients describe their meals as child sized, and often do not finish what they are served. You will grow accustomed to eating these smaller meals and most likely will be compensated by the ability to successfully control your weight.

You can expect to lose approximately 70% of your excess body weight during the first 2 years following surgery. Some patients will regain about 10% between the 2nd and 5th year after surgery, mostly because the stomach has slowly increased in size or because patients eventually learn to consume more calories without feeling sick.

Since gastric bypass patients take in less food and absorb less of what they take in, this makes them at risk for developing nutritional deficiencies. You must also make a life long commitment to taking vitamin, mineral and possibly protein supplements, and should carefully follow your dietitian’s guidelines.

Exercise and the support of others (for example, joining a support group with people who have undergone weight loss surgery) are extremely important to help you lose weight and maintain that loss following gastric bypass. You can generally resume exercise 6 weeks after the operation. Even sooner than that, you will be able to take short walks at a comfortable pace, with the approval and guidance of your doctor. Exercise improves your metabolism; while both exercise and attending a group support can boost your self-esteem and help you stay motivated.

The weight loss results of gastric bypass surgery are generally good. Most patients lose an average of 10 pounds per month and reach a stable weight between 18 and 24 months after surgery. Often, the greatest rate of weight loss occurs in the very beginning (that is, just following the surgery when you are still on a liquid diet).

The surgery is not a solution in and of itself. While it can train you to eat smaller quantities and feel full more quickly, you still have to do much of the work. To achieve weight loss and avoid complications from the procedure, you must exercise and eat properly – according to important, healthy guidelines that your doctor and nutritionist will teach you.