WA Weight Loss Centre

Recovery After Bariatric Surgery

Recovery After Bariatric Surgery

Recovery After Bariatric Surgery2024-05-14T20:10:35+08:00

What to expect

Individual experience of recovering from bariatric surgery can be variable. However most patients have a better recovering experience than anticipated mainly because of the minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery. Dr Werapitiya keeps his bariatric patients in hospital for up to three nights after surgery to make sure that expert help is readily available during the hardest period.

A degree of pain is expected and usual after surgery. With laparoscopic surgery there is much less pain and hence expect to have a lot quicker recovery. You may experience some body wall pain at the sites of stab incisions which gets worse with active body movement. You may also experience referred pain usually felt at the left shoulder due to diaphragmatic irritation from leftover gas and a small amount of blood or fluid. You will have a patient controlled analgesia pump for pain control in the first 24 hours after surgery. This means you will be able to to give yourself a dose of strong injection painkiller when you need it with a press of a button at your control. After the first 24 hors you will have the access to strong painkillers as and when necessary. Most patients require no more than paracetamol for pain relief by the time they are discharged from the hospital.

Anaesthetic medications, painkillers, surgery itself and even eating and drinking are factors that can lead to significant nausea in the first few days after surgery. You would need variety of ant nausea medications during this period. They can be administered as under the tongue wafer, tablet form or injections. As a general guide, you should ask for more anti-nausea medication before coming to the point of dry reaching or vomiting.

Before discharge from the hospital we make sure that you have adequate fluid intake to meet your hydration and nutritional d demands. While adjusting to your new small stomach, meeting fluid demands may prove to be a challenge in the first few weeks. Try to have at least 1500 ml of calorie free base fluids a day. Drink off a bottle so that you have a measure. Often many find it difficult to drink just water. You can add some flavor using cold water infusion bags of various flavor. You can also use 500 ml of electrolyte solution a day which makes fluid absorption and retention better. If you feel dizzy when standing up, feels thirsty and not very well and if your urine is dark tea colour indicating concentrated urine, you are likely getting very dehydrated. If you are not able to drink plenty and rectify the issue quickly please contact us directly for further assessment to see if you need intravenous fluid therapy.

Detail counselling and printed information regarding after surgery diet  should have been provided to you by your bariatric dietitian. As a principle you are gradually going from a thin liquid diet to a normal diet over the first 4 weeks allowing time for tissue healing. In the first week you are allowed to have only thin fluid diet similar to what you were served at the hospital. During the second week you are allowed to have thicker fluid (puree). This means you will have to use a blender to vitamise your food. By the third week you are ready to have soft diet and during the fourth week you trial on solids. It is also important that you eat slowly ( about 15 minutes for a meal) and stop when full.

Stab incisions from laparoscopic port insertion sites are sealed with absorbable fine stiches under the skin and the surface covered with waterproof dressing patches. Please peel those dressings off 4 days after you go home. At this stage they are healed enough for you to have a shower with no wound protection. They need not be cleaned with and antiseptic solutions.

After bariatric surgery you will be able to gradually increase the level and amount of your physical activity. Listen to your body. If the level of activity is within your comfort zone. For the first few days it is important for you to take a few deep breaths every hour to make the base of the lung expanded. It is also important that you spend time out of bed and take a few short walks when possible.

After discharge from the hospital you can start with short walks to the level of your comfort and build the level of activity. Most people are able to go for a brisk walk by the end of second post op week to a point your heart rate is up. You are ready to start on a supervised gym session by the end of fourth week. You can start swimming when you are comfortably go for a jog.  It is not recommended to drive a car in the first 10 days.

Everyone recovers at their own individual pace and have different personal expectations before return to work. As a general guide most will be comfortable doing a few hours of home based office duties at a computer by the end of first week after surgery. By the end of second week you will be able to return to office based job. People in a manual job with an option for light duties may return to work after 3 weeks and may need an extra week before resuming full duties. Before your surgery please talk to Dr Werapitiya about your situation and need for a medical certificate.

Protein supplements are going to be necessary for the first 6 months to meet the daily demand. It is important that protein supplement is not considered a meal and fit in between meals. Vitamin and mineral supplements can be introduced when you get comfortable with oral intake, generally by the end of second post-operative week. For further details pleases refer to the information provided by your bariatric dietitian.

Would weight loss surgery benefit you?


BMI is one of the leading ways of measuring obesity,
find out if you’re a candidate for surgery.

cm
kg
Your BMI is

  • UNDERWEIGHT
  • NORMAL
  • OVERWEIGHT
  • MORBIDLY OBESE
  • SUPER OBESE

YOUR CURRENT
WEIGHT

40kg

BMI 40.0

HEALTHY BMI
WEIGHT

88kg

BMI 24.9

WEIGHT LOSS NEEDED TO
ACHIEVE A HEALTHY BMI

24kg

or 28% of your overall body weight

Your Expected weight loss in 1 year

With the most common treatment options

3.5kg

or 3.2% of your overall body weight 1

Lifestyle Changes

3.2 - 6.7kg

or 5 - 10% of your overall body weight 2,3

Prescription Medication

22 - 37kg

or 20 - 33% of your overall body weight 4

Weight Loss Surgery


Percentages are based on the weight loss averages

1) Sumithran P and Proietto J. The defence of body weight: a physiological basis for weight regain after weight loss. Clin Sci 2103; 124: 231–41.RACGP. Obesity prevention and management position statement 2019. Available at https://www.racgp.org.au/FSDEDEV/media/documents/RACGP/Position%20statements/Obesity-prevention-and-management.pdf, accessed September 2022. 2) Pilitsi E, et al. Pharmacotherapy of obesity: Available medications and drugs under investigation. Metab Clin Exp 2019; 92: 170–92. 3) Lee PC, Dixon J. Pharmacotherapy for obesity.Aust Fam Phys. 2017; 46(7): 472–7. 4) NH&MRC (2013) Clinical practice guidelines for the management of overweight and obesity in adults, adolescents and children in Australia. Available at https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/publications/clinical-practice-guidelines-management-overweight-and-obesity, Accessed September 2022.

Your Expected weight loss in 1 year

With the most common treatment options


Percentages are based on the weight loss averages

1) Sumithran P and Proietto J. The defence of body weight: a physiological basis for weight regain after weight loss. Clin Sci 2103; 124: 231–41.RACGP. Obesity prevention and management position statement 2019. Available at https://www.racgp.org.au/FSDEDEV/media/documents/RACGP/Position%20statements/Obesity-prevention-and-management.pdf, accessed September 2022. 2) Pilitsi E, et al. Pharmacotherapy of obesity: Available medications and drugs under investigation. Metab Clin Exp 2019; 92: 170–92. 3) Lee PC, Dixon J. Pharmacotherapy for obesity.Aust Fam Phys. 2017; 46(7): 472–7. 4) NH&MRC (2013) Clinical practice guidelines for the management of overweight and obesity in adults, adolescents and children in Australia. Available at https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/publications/clinical-practice-guidelines-management-overweight-and-obesity, Accessed September 2022.

At your BMI, the Australian Obesity Guidelines(9) recommend my target weight loss should be:


No recommendation based on your BMI.

Answer the questions below, and we can contact you to discuss your treatment options

Tell us about any other health issues

If you do not meet the BMI or weight criteria, you still may be considered for surgery if your BMI is over 30 and you are suffering serious health problems related to obesity.

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BMI is not the only criteria

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