General guidelines to follow at home after bariatric surgery…

General guidelines to follow at home after bariatric surgery…

Dr. Jorge Maytorena performs weight loss surgeries using laparoscopic technique, this type of technique is a less invasive procedure that allows the patient a faster recovery (About 1 to 3 weeks for most people). Every patient’s body reacts different to pain or another side effects after surgery, but you might feel familiar with this common symptoms after surgery.
• Pain in your belly, this is mostly caused by the small incisions on your abdomen, the incision that typically causes the most pain is the site that the surgeon removed a large portion of your stomach. Also remember that the anesthesia has worn off and while your pain medications are working, you’re also moving a bit more.
• You may experience residual nausea from the anesthesia but this should improve very quickly after surgery.
• You might feel your throat sore, swollen and dry after laparoscopic procedure; small sips of water help you reduce the discomfort after a pair of days.
• Dumping syndrome or loose stools, this usually occurs due to poor food choices.
• Skin redness around your wounds is normal, and they will go away on its own… We highly recommend to carefully wash with water and soap during shower, do not scrub or rub the incisions. During the first weeks of the recovery, don’t soak in a bathtub or hot tub, or go swimming, until your doctor tells you it is okay.

Back at Home after bariatric surgery (Everyday life tips)

After a few days in the hospital or recovery house the patient should be able to go back home without any extra assistance, for a faster and better recovery we advise you to follow the next guidelines:

• Follow the post-op diet plan
• Remember to sip and eat your liquids/meals slowly
• Shower carefully (Don’t worry if your skin gets red around the staples, if the redness become severe or your experiencing severe pain or drainage call your doctor)
• Don’t carry or lift anything more than 20 pounds for the first month.
• Excessive every day (Try to walk at least 20 minutes per day, climb stairs, get active!)
• Don’t forget to take your vitamins
• Participate in normal activities (You may be able to go back to a desk job within a week.)

What type of vitamins are recommended after wls?

• Multivitamin- The first supplement you will likely take after bariatric surgery is a multivitamin. Immediately after surgery, you may need to take chewable or liquid vitamins because you might have trouble swallowing tablets. Bariatric multivitamins are available and typically contain vitamins A, D, and E. Your doctor may recommend you to take 2 per day during the six months after surgery.

• Calcium – While your multivitamin may contain some calcium, it may not be enough to compensate for calcium losses in your daily diet. Because you need calcium for healthy bones and teeth, you may need to take a calcium supplement that contains 1,000 to 1,500 mg of calcium. Look for calcium citrate, which is better absorbed after gastric sleeve surgery. Your body can only absorb about 500 mg of calcium at a time, so you may wish to separate your supplements into three servings over the course of your day.

• Vitamin D – This type of vitamin is required to help you absorb calcium in your body. This vitamin is difficult to get in your daily diet and even more difficult following bariatric sleeve surgery. Take at least a 1,000 IU vitamin D supplement each day to ensure you get enough of this vitamin.

• Vitamin B-12 – Is necessary for brain functioning and building red blood cells. This vitamin binds to intrinsic factor, which is secreted by the stomach, for absorption. During laparoscopic gastric bypass, the portion of the stomach responsible for making intrinsic factor is bypassed. The lack of intrinsic factor decreases the amount the body is able to absorb vitamin B-12 after gastric bypass and to a lesser extent after gastric sleeve surgery. As such, you should take a vitamin B-12 supplement that is either liquid or dissolves on the tongue. Take at least 500 micrograms of vitamin B-12 per day to ensure you get enough vitamin B-12 in your diet.

• Iron – Iron is needed to build healthy red blood cells in your body. Without enough, you can feel weak and fatigued. Taking iron supplements can upset your stomach. For this reason, you should choose iron supplements that contain ferrous fumarate, ferrous sulfate or ferrous gluconate, which your body better absorbs. Because iron can affect calcium supplementation, take these supplements two hours apart.