Pre-Bariatric Surgery Tips

Tips Before Bariatric Surgery

Before you go into surgery, you want to ensure that you are fully prepared for the lifestyle changes that you will need to adopt in order to make recovery and the subsequent weight loss as easy and risk-free as possible. After weight loss surgery, you’ll be dealing with bariatric surgery recovery which requires that you follow a precise diet and implement various lifestyle changes.

Here are some tips for preparing for bariatric surgery in Mexico, whether you’re getting gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, or any other procedure that we offer at ALO Bariatrics.

Preparing For Bariatric Surgery

If you smoke, quit smoking, ideally for good. You want to have quit smoking for several months before surgery, but if you quit even just a month before surgery, it will help you recover much more easily.
Get used to a healthy, whole foods diet in the weeks leading up to surgery.
Your doctor or surgeon may have you do a liquid fast for a week or more before surgery. If they do, there is a good medical reason for it: follow their instructions!
Before you go to the hospital, you should have the following:
1. loose fitting comfortable clothing,
2. a comfortable pillow,
3. slip-on shoes
4. Some form of entertainment to keep you busy while recovering in hospital.
Learn about the procedure you will undergo. The more you know about the procedure, the less anxious you will be about the surgery or the results. We at ALO Bariatrics have a bariatric surgery blog that you can use as reference material.

Essential Items Checklist for a Smooth Recovery

Ensure you have the following items:
1. loose fitting clothing,
2. comfortable slip-on shoes,
3. Multivitamins,
4. a blender (preferably one with individual serving size blender cups),
5. OTC acetaminophen/paracetamol (Tylenol),
6. OTC acetaminophen/paracetamol (Tylenol),
7. Soup broth or soup stock that you can easily heat up to drink,
8. and a 64 oz water bottle that you can sip from with ease throughout the day.
Have someone available to help you with housework. You won’t be doing much moving for the first week after surgery and it’ll be a big help if you have someone who can take care of things while you’re recovering.
Make sure to have your post-op doctor’s appointments scheduled in advance.
Purchase protein supplements and bariatric vitamins in accordance with your doctor’s recommendations.

FAQs about Tips Before Bariatric Surgery

How do I prepare my body for bariatric surgery?

The best way to prepare your body for bariatric surgery is to eat a clean diet and stop smoking, if you’re a smoker. Your doctors may have you do a liquid fast in order to prepare your body for the procedure. This is pretty standard, although not all patients will need to do a liquid fast for a long time.

How much weight can you lose on a pre op bariatric diet?

This depends on the patient and how you decide to approach the pre op bariatric diet. Some patients choose to do a liquid fast, consuming only liquid foods with no added sugar. If a patient does this for a month before getting surgery, they can lose as much as 20 pounds or even more.

How long do you have to be off work after bariatric surgery?

Most patients will need to take at least one week off work after bariatric surgery, but we recommend that you take two weeks in order to focus entirely on recovery. Patients are usually able to get up and move after a week, but are unable to lift heavy objects or do strenuous activity.

What percentage of bariatric patients regain weight?

It’s reported that around 10-15% of bariatric patients regain weight. However, the reason that bariatric patients regain weight is because they don’t continue to follow up with doctors, they don’t treat their mental health issues that often are a catalyst for disordered eating, and they end up returning to an unhealthy diet.

Pre-Bariatric Surgery Tips

Tips Before Bariatric Surgery

Preparing For Bariatric Surgery

Essential Items Checklist for a Smooth Recovery

FAQs about Tips Before Bariatric Surgery

How do I prepare my body for bariatric surgery?

How much weight can you lose on a pre op bariatric diet?

How long do you have to be off work after bariatric surgery?

What percentage of bariatric patients regain weight?

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