Gastric Bypass Surgery is something many, unfortunately, have to consider in an effort to better their health. For many, Gastric Bypass Surgery is the last resort when all other diets and therapies have failed. This article will attempt to answer some of your questions regarding this surgery.
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What Is Gastric Bypass Surgery?
Gastric Bypass Surgery is a type of weight loss surgery that decreases the size of the stomach permanently. Gastric bypass surgery is one of the most difficult health decisions you can make. While it isn’t ideal for everyone, it is a very successful way to lose large amounts of weight and to gain better control over your health. If you have made the hard decision to have this surgery, then this guide will be a helpful resource in the months to come.
Bariatric Surgery Is Not a Quick Fix
Whether having a lapband, gastric bypass surgery or a gastric sleeve, bariatric surgery for weight loss is not a quick fix. It requires dedication, hard work, and potential long term health struggles. The results, however, for most people are well worth the difficulty.
What Are the Types of Gastric Bypass Procedure?
Gastric bypass surgery is a type of bariatric procedure that is suitable for people with a BMI exceeding 40. The two types are Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and duodenal switch.
Gastric bypass surgery is a weight loss procedure that creates a small pouch in the stomach, through which food passes into the intestines.
Gastric bypass surgery is a surgical procedure that limits food intake and reduces the size of your stomach to make it smaller. The surgery is usually done in a hospital and recovery time is short. Is the surgery permanent?
A Duodenal switch is another variation of the gastric bypass surgery, and it is used to treat people who are extremely obese (i.e. with a body mass index above 50). It may also be recommended to those who have failed all other types of weight-loss surgery or cannot have them because of health reasons.
What Are the Benefits of a Gastric Bypass Surgery?
Gastric bypass surgery allows the stomach to become much smaller, so you feel fuller after eating less.
For people who are obese, gastric bypass surgery may be an option if they have tried other weight-loss therapies without success or cannot tolerate any of the medications available.
Reversal will not reestablish normal anatomy and there is some evidence that weight gain will begin within a few years.
What Are the Risks of Gastric Bypass Surgery?
Complications associated with gastric bypass surgery include: malnutrition, osteoporosis, gallstones and high cholesterol levels. A healthy life style changes post surgery is necessary for maximizing the benefits of the procedure and managing complications.
The most common complication of gastric bypass surgery is an infection in the incision. It is usually mild and responds easily to antibiotics, but may lead to a more serious problem with wound healing if not treated properly.
Risks also include ileus (when your digestive system does not work as it should). The ileus can be very serious for some people.
Duodenal switch is a more complex procedure, with higher risks of complications. It is important that you carefully consider whether this type of surgery is right for you. How much does gastric bypass surgery cost?
How Much Does a Gastric Bypass Surgery Cost?
Gastric bypass surgery costs can vary greatly depending on where you live. According to the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, the average cost for gastric bypass surgery in 2023 was $30,000. This includes the surgeon’s fee, operating room fees, hospital fees and post-surgical food plan.
How Long Will It Take To Recover From Gastric Bypass Surgery?
Recovery from a RNY can take about 6 weeks, but this varies depending on your general health, how much weight you lose before surgery and what type of anesthesia you had etc
Pain wise you may need pain medication for 1-2 weeks after the surgery. If you have had keyhole surgery, you will be able to remove the bandages after 2-3 days. Your surgeon will check stitches or staples to make sure they are healing properly. Eventually your stitches and staples will dissolve or they will be removed once you have healed.
After surgery, you move through a staged meal plan which consists of clear liquids, such as water and broth. By day 11, smooth foods (such as yogurt and oatmeal) are included in the diet. By 3 weeks, soft foods (such as chicken, eggs, and well-cooked vegetables) are included and at 7 weeks you should be able to eat most solid foods again.
How Much Weight Can You Expect to Lose After Gastric Bypass Surgery
You can expect to lose 1-2 lbs a week for the first few weeks after surgery. After that you should begin to lose weight at a rate of around 2 pounds per week. If your weight loss is slower than this, it may be due to other factors such as not following your food plan or having a lot of fluid retention at one time.
When Should You Do Gastric Bypass Surgery?
Gastric bypass surgery is a very successful weight loss procedure. The surgery helps people lose from 60% to 80% of their excess body weight and is often the only option for severely obese people.
Things You Will Be Required To Do Before Having Surgery:
- Extensive therapy and counselling to determine why food is an issue.
- Maintain a diet plan and lose a set amount of weight within a short amount of time.
- Visit with a dietician or nutritional coach to learn about how to manage your food intake post-surgery.
- Go through many pre-requisites set out by insurance companies and healthcare programs.
Also, check out my bariatric surgery checklist for those last few things that you may have forgotten to do.
Do I Have to Change My Diet Before Bariatric Surgery?
In a nutshell, yes, you will need to make dietary changes before you actually have surgery. Surgeons typically require their patients to lose a set amount of weight over 30-90 days time prior to the surgery date. This is to make sure you are truly committed to making the surgery a success.
Additionally, for 10-14 days prior to your surgery date, you will be on a liquid diet or a liver cleansing diet. This is to prepare your body for the surgery and to help make your liver smaller. A smaller liver will make the actual procedure easier and safer to perform. So, no, you will not be able to have a “last meal” the night before surgery to indulge. Plan to begin your new eating style in advance of the actual surgical procedure.
For more information on the liver diet, you can check the NHS pre-surgery dietary requirements. I wrote about the liver shrinking diet as well from my own perspective to help others understand how it works.
What Can’t I Eat After Gastric Bypass Surgery?
There are some foods you will need to stop eating after you have surgery. Many of these foods are things that are harder for your body to break down or can cause reflux more readily. As you have so much smaller an area for food, reflux and vomiting can be a struggle after surgery. Avoiding those trigger foods is vital to making sure you are comfortable and progressing.
When you eat foods from the list of top foods to avoid after gastric bypass, you are putting your life in danger. An individual who has had weight loss surgery is susceptible to dehydration much faster. Any foods that cause stomach upset and vomiting put you at risk for not just a little discomfort, but extreme health struggles. This can also lead to things like dumping syndrome which is not just uncomfortable but potentially dangerous.
What Can I Eat After Weight Loss Surgery?
The first few weeks after surgery, you will be eating a mostly liquid diet with a few soft foods thrown in. I have detailed What to Eat After Gastric Bypass Surgery for your reference. The information I shared was what I was told prior to surgery by my set of physicians. It is very important to make sure you follow your doctor’s recommendations. These may be slightly different depending upon the exact type of surgery you are having and any specific existing health issues.
For instance, while the post-surgery diet consists of mostly low-carb, low-sugar, and low-fat foods, there are times when someone who is diabetic will be monitored more closely an allowed a bit more of one of these items while medication and insulin levels are being adjusted.
Follow your doctor’s recommendations above all. While I have the experience, as do others in support groups, we are not the ones handling your care.
You will begin with a lot of liquids and soft foods, then transition to more meals. Protein shakes, broth, gelatin, pudding, and mashed potatoes are common in the early days post-surgery, but you will also be adding a lot of supplements and medications to your routine. It will be some time before you move up to “real food” in your personal menu.
My Tips for Post Surgery Food Choices
I wrote about the pureed food diet from my surgery experience to help others learn more about how to puree vegetables for post surgery, and the best high protein foods after gastric bypass.
Once the regular food stage begins, you will be focused on foods with protein that are easy to digest. Eggs, tofu, lean ground meat, cottage cheese, and soft vegetables are most common. You can use my tips for low carb diet after gastric bypass to get through this period of time in your journey.
One thing you will be told to have a lot of is water. Your diet will be expected to contain a large volume of water to avoid dehydration as your meals will be smaller and you will be ingesting less fluid in your meals than your boy is used to having.
What are the Portion Sizes After Bariatric Surgery?
One of the most difficult things post-surgery is adjusting to the tiny portion sizes. Only 2-4 teaspoons at a meal will be allowed. That is why prior to surgery you will have a lot of reminders to “sip” fluids. You no longer will be able to drink a glass of water. Instead, you will take in small sips throughout the day.
The same will happen with your foods. You want to pack the most nutrients into the smallest packages. That is why 2-3 teaspoons of ground chicken and a teaspoon of pureed carrots may be all you have at one meal. It has nutrients you need and is small enough to not cause issues. I found that preparing these small portions ahead of time was necessary. In fact, I wrote about why meal prepping is so important for weight loss.
There is a lot of information on the Mayo Clinic Bariatric Surgery guide for you to learn about portions, foods you can eat, and how to cope after surgery.
Will I Ever Be Able to Change My Menu?
Yes and no. At some point down the road, you can begin eating more or different foods, but for optimum success, you will truly have to stick with this diet plan for the rest of your life.
Will you one day be able to eat a piece of chocolate during the holidays? Yes, but you will also need to be careful about how much, with what, and how fast you eat it and other trigger foods. The goal of this surgery is to change the way you think about food and how you use it. Sure, you may want to have a hamburger again, but gone are the days where that is really a possibility for your menu.
Gastric bypass is a huge decision and a great procedure. There are risks and benefits and you should talk to a medical professional to make sure it is the right decision for you.
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