Lose Weight With Bariatric Surgery
The first step to losing weight through bariatric surgery is to decide to have the surgery. Once this decision is made, you are likely to have a myriad of questions related to the surgery itself. Please keep reading to find out answers to some commonly asked questions about the procedure.
1) How long does it take to schedule the surgery?
Like with other medical procedures, there are many factors that determine how long it will take to sign up for the surgery. One factor is how long your finance company takes to approve coverage for the surgery. Once the financing company approves the surgery, the process of scheduling the surgery with your physician should only take about 1-2 weeks. After the surgery has been insurance approved and scheduled, your surgeon may require you to complete a few pre-surgery tests like echocardiograms, sleep tests, labs, and x-rays.
2) Approximate recovery time?
Recovery time depends on the type of bariatric surgery that you choose. Most people that have laparoscopic adjustable gastric band surgery can return to work after one week. Other types of surgery will require a 2-3 week leave of absence from your workplace. Some of these longer recovery surgery types are: sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, and duodenal switch surgery. These are just estimate recovery times, however. Experts recommend consulting with your surgeon to get a more specific recovery time estimate, based on your personal situation.
3) How long does the procedure last?
The surgery length depends on the type of surgery that you pick. A lap-band procedure takes approximately one hour. Longer surgeries, like gastric bypass, take approximately 2-4 hours. Some experts say to plan for an average of 3-4 hours for a typical bariatric surgery.
4) How long is the hospital stay?
After the surgery, you stay in the hospital for 3-5 days. This is just an estimated time length, however. Each patient is different and you may have to stay longer if there are any complications or if you require additional post-surgery monitoring.
5) What happens during the procedure?
There are two basic types of procedures. For instance, some surgeries are performed via the surgeon making a large, abdominal incision. Most surgeries however are done laparoscopically. During this procedure, a small, abdominal incision is made in the patient, then an instrument with a camera on the tip is inserted into the incision. This camera gives the surgeon a close-up view of the operation site during the operation. One huge benefit of laparoscopic surgery is a faster recovery time for patients, due to the small incision. For more specific details, however, we recommend speaking with your surgeon.
6) Is the procedure anesthetized or not-anesthetized?
Surgeons use general anesthesia for all bariatric procedures. This fact should comfort anyone who finds the idea of surgery to be unsettling.
7) Pre or post surgery diet?
Most surgeons put their patients on a pre-surgery diet about 2-3 weeks before the surgery. However, some insurance coverage policies require that a patient follow a doctor-supervised diet 3-6 months before the surgery. In either case, a pre-surgery diet helps the patient physically because this will reduce abdominal fat and shrink the liver so the actual procedure goes more smoothly and safely. After the surgery, patients should stick to a healthy diet and regular exercise plan that will enhance the results of the surgery.
8) What to expect right after surgery?
Two things you can expect right after the surgery are to follow are: diet regulations and regular doctor visits. Patients are not allowed to eat during the first one or two days right after the procedure so your digestive system and stomach can heal up. After the first couple of days, patients should expect to follow a 12-week physician-regulated diet. This will allow the patient to start absorbing liquids, then gradually moving on to more solid foods with time. Frequent doctor visits are necessary so your physician can perform any post-surgery tests like blood work and so they can monitor your post-surgery health.
9) Some post-surgery symptoms to expect?
Like with any surgery, patients can experience some symptoms during the recovery process. Some of these symptoms are as follows:
Fatigue
Achiness
Dry skin
Mood changes
Hair loss or thinning
Feeling cold
Finance to pay for bariatric surgery is available in South Africa. Click here to apply.