Weight-loss surgery - after - what to ask your doctor

Weight-loss surgery is done to help you lose weight. After the surgery, you will not be able to eat as much as before. Depending on the type of surgery you had, your body may not absorb all the calories from the food you eat.

Below are some questions you may want to ask your doctor or nurse about what will happen after you have weight-loss surgery.

Questions

How much weight will I lose? How fast will I lose it? Will I continue to lose weight?

What will eating be like after weight-loss surgery?

  • What should I eat or drink when I am in the hospital? How about when I first come home? When will I be eating more solid food?
  • How often should I eat?
  • How much should I eat or drink at one time?
  • Are there foods I need to avoid?
  • What should I do if I feel sick to my stomach? If I am throwing up?

What are extra vitamins or minerals I will need to take? Will I always need to take them?

How can I get my home ready before I even go to the hospital?

  • How much help will I need when I come home?
  • Will I be able to get out of bed by myself?
  • How do I make sure my home will be safe for me?
  • What type of supplies will I need when I get home?
  • Do I need to rearrange my home?

What types of feelings can I expect to have? Can I talk with other people who have had weight-loss surgery?

What will my wound be like? How do I take care of it?

  • When may I shower or bathe?
  • How do I take care of any drains or tubes that come out of my belly? When will they be taken out?

How active can I be when I get home?

  • How much can I lift?
  • When will I be able to drive?
  • When will I be able to return to work?

Will I have much pain? What medicines will I have for the pain? How should I take them?

When is my first follow-up appointment after my surgery? How often do I need to see the doctor during the first year after my surgery? Will I need to see doctors other than my surgeon?

Alternate Names

Gastric bypass - after - what to ask your doctor; Roux-en-Y gastric bypass - after - what to ask your doctor; Gastric banding - after - what to ask your doctor; What to ask your doctor after weight-loss surgery

Update Date: 2/16/2011

Updated by: Alex Nagle, MD, Director of Bariatric Surgery, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Gastrointestinal & Oncologic Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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