If you’re struggling with obesity or suffering from obesity-related disorders, weight loss surgery can be a useful tool to help you lose weight, and if you’re considering it, you’ll want to get a good idea of what to expect before, during and after the procedure.
Before Weight Loss Surgery
After you’ve been approved for weight loss surgery, Dr. Taylor will give you general pre-surgery instructions, including:
- Quit smoking
- Avoid alcohol
- Start implementing a light exercise routine
- Arrange time off from work
During the Surgery
You are put under general anesthesia for weight loss surgery, so you won’t be conscious during the procedure. Most bariatric surgeries are performed laparoscopically, so they don’t require large abdominal incisions. Instead, they place a laparoscope—a small tube with a camera attached to the end—through a very small incision, allowing the surgeon to see and operate inside of your abdomen using a video monitor.
Surgeries generally last anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes for the LAP-BAND, 45 to 60 minutes for sleeve gastrectomy and 90 minutes for gastric bypass. Hospital recovery time is up to two days depending on the type of surgery (LAP-BAND patients usually don’t require an overnight hospital stay).
How Much Weight Should You Expect to Lose?
Dr. Taylor will help you create realistic goals for weight loss after your weight loss surgery. How much weight you can expect to lose depends on how much weight you currently weigh, your lifestyle, and your health.
On average, most people can expect to lose:
- 70% of excess weight with gastric bypass surgery
- 60% of excess weight with sleeve gastrectomy surgery
- 50% of excess weight with gastric band surgery
Don’t be discouraged if you aren’t losing large amounts of weight quickly. When creating your weight loss goals, keep in mind that losing too much too fast is actually unhealthy.
Post-Bariatric Surgery Health Improvements
After weight loss surgery, many people see resolution or improvement in obesity-related medical problems, including:
Post-Bariatric Surgery Lifestyle
To ensure that you optimize your success after weight loss surgery, it’s recommended that you implement healthy changes to your everyday life. Healthy lifestyle habits that you’ll be asked to consider include:
- Increased physical activity. Finding a healthy way to get active that fits your lifestyle can be very beneficial for your weight loss goals after surgery. It’s okay to start small. Try walking for ten minutes every morning just to improve blood circulation and cardiovascular strength.
- Regular check-ups with your weight loss doctor. Living healthy is a lifelong commitment, so it’s recommended that you continue to check-up with Dr. Taylor regularly after surgery.
