Post Operative Bariatric Care

After going through bariatric surgery, recovery is among the most important steps in the weight loss process. Most of the patients rapidly lose weight which can result into momentous medical changes. Patient needs nutrition and metabolic monitoring throughout the life. The frequency of this monitoring depends on the type of surgery offered and your health condition prior to surgery. Adequate pain medication is also prescribed to help relieve the patient from excessive pain. There are various steps which are involved in post- operative bariatric care. They are-

Follow Up Post-Operative Bariatric Surgery

1. After going trough bariatric surgery the patients must keep in touch regularly with their doctors so that medications can be reviewed and the status of abdominal wound can also be checked.
2. The requirement of antihypertensive medication after surgery may witness a rapid change, a doctor should be consulted at the earliest.
3. Patients who take antidepressant medication should be encouraged to remain on these medications for the first few months immediately after surgery.
4. Patients who have diabetes may require decreased amount of diabetic medication within a few days of surgery. Patients are also instructed to monitor their glucose levels four times a day on daily basis.

   Patient’s Diet Post-Operative Bariatric Surgery

   1. During the first few days of your recovery period (if it goes without food), you will have an intravenous (IV) line to give you the nutrients which your body needs.
   2. Patients are also encouraged to drink 48-64 ounces of non-caloric fluids daily.
   3. Patient is instructed to start a soft diet in 60 ml portions, focusing on intake of proteins.
   4. After surgery, patients can progressively advance their diet from liquids to solids after two week’s period.
   5. Laxatives may be encouraged to prevent straining associated with constipation.
   6. Patient may have Horlicks, Boost, decaffeinated coffee, tea, skimmed milk, water diluted fruit juice and sugar free ice candies.
   7. Vitamins and mineral supplements are very necessary after the surgery for a lifetime.
   8. Every patient needs to find what foods they can best tolerate during different phases of weight loss process.

   Wound Check Post-Operative Bariatric Surgery

   1. Patients must go for a wound check on regular basis with their doctors or surgeons.
   2. Patients who had an open surgery will have an upper midline abdominal incision and might have staples on their skin. These skin staples are idyllically removed after ten days of the surgery. When the staples remain in for an extended period, the staple line shows a reactive erythema which is usually not required to be treated with antibiotics.
   3. Patients who had minimally invasive gastric bypass surgery have five or six small incisions that are covered by steri-strips. These strips should be allowed to fall off normally which can take five to seven days.

      Evaluations Done Post-Operative Bariatric Surgery

      After the surgery, patients are evaluated on first month and then evaluation is done every fourth, twelfth, eighteenth and twenty-fourth month. Later, the evaluation process is performed yearly throughout the life. If required, some patients are evaluated more frequently.

      Depending upon the procedure selected for the bariatric obesity surgery, the recovery specifics vary. In most of the cases, the remaining, limited activity and medication play a very vital role in curing and convalescence. Specific to procedure and patient, the doctor’s advice helps your body be prepared for change. Other than the above described account of post bariatric care, it should be properly and closely followed on the prescription lines as prescribed by your doctor.