Challenges After Bariatric Surgery
Are you aware of the common problems that happen after bariatric surgery? If you don’t know, then consider reading this article.
Like any other surgery, problems after bariatric surgery are very common but quite frustrating. Many people are not able to cope with these problems and end up regaining the lost weight even after weight loss surgery. And some people might develop certain complications that can be chronic. So, learn all the problems that you can face after bariatric surgery and tips on how you can deal with them. Log on to https://bariatricbrooklyn.com/ to know more about weight loss.
Problems faced after bariatric surgery
There are many problems or challenges people have to face after bariatric surgery such as:
Side effects and complications:
Certain complications and side effects can develop in the short term after your surgery; it depends on your body, the type of operation received, medication history, and pre-op preparation. Talk with your doctor about how to prepare yourself to prevent them after the operation. Side effects include:
- Dehydration
- Acid reflux
- Nausea and vomiting
- Constipation
- Infection
- Inability to eat certain foods
- Intestinal obstruction
- Fail to lose weight due to certain complications
Certain complications such as dumping syndrome, bowel obstruction, hernias, low blood sugar, etc. happen after some months after your surgery. So, it is important to regularly visit your bariatric doctor for checkups to reduce the risk of these complications.
Diet restrictions:
After your bariatric surgery, you need to follow a restricted diet until your body is fully recovered from the surgery. And for one week, you only have to take a liquid diet, not solid food. Then later, you can shift to pureed diet and start eating solid food after a month or two when your body can manage it. This diet restriction is very important to follow to prevent certain complications and achieve weight loss.
Life-long commitment:
Before taking the surgery, you need to promise the surgeon that you’ll follow lifelong behavioral and lifestyle changes to achieve permanent weight loss goals. Because even after your surgery you still can regain the lost weight again if you do not follow seriously your commitments towards maintaining a healthy weight later on. People who follow their instructions can maintain a healthy weight throughout their life and prevent certain diseases.
Excess skin:
This is something that can be fixed with another surgery but not properly all the time. Because people who lose a dramatic amount of weight might experience loose/flabby skin problems. While in some cases, depending on the patient, you might deal with this excess skin by having plastic surgery to remove the extra layer of tissue from your body. Make sure you discuss with your doctor and plastic surgeon about taking this surgery and all its implications.
Postoperative depression:
It is rare but some people suffer from depression after surgery. And individuals who already suffer from it must be stabilized before having a bariatric operation because it can increase the risk of experiencing emotional distress and reduce satisfaction later. This type of depression happens when they make unrealistic expectations, temporary personality changes, post-surgical complications, etc. However, you can prevent this by keeping your goals realistic and educating yourself about surgery and its later complications. So that, you know what to expect and how to prepare yourself to deal with stress. You can seek some counseling or psychotherapy before and after your surgery to prevent or treat this condition.
Tips to deal with changes (in your body and life) after bariatric surgery
- If you’re experiencing any side effects after your bariatric surgery, contact your bariatric doctor immediately to learn how to deal with it.
- Keep your appointments and checkups regular with your healthcare professional to reduce the risk of complications.
- Eat healthy food items such as fruits and vegetables to get most of the important nutrients and vitamins which are important for weight loss.
- Follow the diet plan prescribed to you by your healthcare professional to prevent side effects and complications. It might be hard but important to do so.
- To achieve lifelong weight loss, commit to the goals recommended by a healthcare professional.
- Avoid foods and drinks that contain a lot of fat, sugar, and carbohydrates.
- Avoid smoking and alcohol.
- If you experience post-surgery stress or depression, you should consult a counselor to treat your condition.
Keep in mind that these are the challenges you must face in order to achieve your goals and make yourself healthy again.
Problems after bariatric surgery are quite common. But you need to understand that to get healthy you need to choose bariatric surgery. Not only can you live a healthy life, but you can also prevent certain conditions and diseases such as type 2 diabetes which are chronic and not curable. So, to achieve the goals you need to fight against these challenges and win against them to live a healthy life.
Need help deciding whether you should have weight loss surgery or not? Call us at 1-347-384-5690 to schedule a consultation. Our bariatric clinic has one of the best bariatric doctors and surgeons to treat your obesity and overweight problems. Book your appointment, walk in for an appointment at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212.