Can You Get Your Gastric Sleeve Tightened
UCI Health now offers a minimally invasive way to regain some of the benefits experienced from bariatric surgery using an endoscopic device called Apollo Endosurgery OverStitch. Through a flexible scope passed through the mouth, the physician can sew tissue tighter from the inside, where food enters the stomach.
Activity Will Be Slow For A While
This is not only because you will be recovering from an operation, but also because while you are adjusting to the new diet, you will feel tired and sluggish. You will have to grow accustomed to changes in your diets, the nutrients that your body absorbs, and also how your digestive system works before your energy is going to improve. Your physician is going to recommend how much activity you should be getting on a daily basis during the first few weeks of your restoration.
What Can I Expect After Gastric Sleeve
Recovery time after gastric sleeve surgery differs from one patient to the other. Factors that determine recovery time post-surgery includes any conditions, the patients body natural response, the preoperative morbid condition of the patient, and the occurrence of any intraoperative complications.
Recovery from Anaesthesia
The first phase of recovery is to come out of anesthesia. Bariatric surgery is commonly performed under general anesthesia with volatile anesthetics and neuromuscular blockade. However, general anesthesia with neuromuscular blockade increases upper airway collapse risk, pulmonary atelectasis, and postoperative pulmonary complications in this population .
At the end of the procedure, the general anesthesia is reversed, and the patient becomes conscious and aware of his/her environment. Morbid obesity itself can delay recovery from anesthesia as the fats store a significant amount of the anesthetic agent that may continue to act after the procedure is completed. The recommendation, based on current practice amongst experts in bariatric anesthesia, is that lean or adjusted body weight are used as the scalars for calculating initial anesthetic drug doses rather than total body weight .
Management of Pain
When Do I Get Discharged from the Hospital?
Commencement of Oral Intake
When Will I Resume Physical Activity?
When Will I Get Back To Work?
Typically recovery time will be between 2 to 6 weeks. With most people able to get back to work in 2 weeks.
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Q & A: Recovery Time For Gastric Sleeve Surgery
How long is recovery from gastric sleeve surgery ?
- 4 to 6 weeks
How long is the average gastric sleeve hospital stay?
- 1 to 3 days
- Some surgeons allow you to return home on the same day as surgery. This practice isnt common and the surgery must be completed without complications. If youd prefer to recover at home, ask your surgeon if this option is available.
At what point during my VSG surgery recovery time can I start eating food?
The recommended time varies by surgeon, but a conservative estimate is:
- 1 week: Start thicker drinks and smooth foods
- 2 weeks: Slowly test pureed foods and soft solid foods
- 3 weeks: Slowly test solid foods
How long is gastric sleeve recovery time off work?
- 1 to 3 weeks
How long does it take the stomach to heal after gastric sleeve surgery?
- About 2 weeks for incisions to heal
- About 6 to 8 weeks for stomach staple line to heal
When can I start heavy lifting and normal exercise?
- 4 to 6 weeks
When will I start to notice weight loss?
- Within the first week or two
When are the follow-up appointments with my surgeon?
- 4 days and 1 week post-op: Phone appointment
- 2 weeks post-op: In-person appointment
When can I start driving again after gastric sleeve surgery?
- 1 week post-op, as long as you are off your prescription pain medications
How Do You Stop This From Happening
The hardest part about the post bariatric surgery diet is that we have to maintain it for the rest of our lives. Of course, there are times where we will indulge or splurge and have to work a little bit harder in the days afterwards to get back to baseline weight. But as we liberalize our lifestyles and diets an inevitability over time it becomes harder and harder to stay disciplined.
If we could offer two pieces of actionable advice it would be to a) drink water only an hour before and after your meal and to slow down. Avoiding drinking beforehand makes sure you get enough nutrients with your meal . Avoiding liquids during your meal prevents overfilling your stomach and stretching it without knowing. Remember that liquids pass into the stomach very quickly, but it can take upwards of 20 minutes for food to get there. Second, eating slowly will help your body understand when it has reached its limit. If you eat too quickly, we will overeat before your brain has the chance to realize that your stomach is full. The slower you eat, the more likely you will be to achieve appropriate satiety.
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How Long Does It Take To Recover From Gastric Sleeve Surgery
When looking at the recovery process, we like to think about it in three different stages.
Stage 1 recovery will focus on immediately after surgery and up to two weeks. This is where you will focus on letting your incisions heal, and begin adapting to your new post-op life.
Stage 2 will focus on adding in normal activities and finishing out your 4-phase post-op diet.
Stage 3 will focus on long-term weight loss . This will be different for everyone since it will take some people longer than others to reach their goal weight. Once goal weight is reached, you will focus on maintaining for the remainder of your journey.
What Can I Do To Prevent Excess Hanging Skin
Many people heavy enough to meet the surgical criteria for weight-loss surgery have stretched their skin beyond the point from which it can snap back. Some patients choose to have plastic surgery to remove loose or excess skin after they have lost their excess weight. Insurance generally does not pay for this type of surgery However, some do pay for certain types of surgery to remove excess skin when complications arise from these excess skin folds. Your surgeon can refer you to a plastic surgeon to discuss your need for a skin removal procedure.
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How Long Will I Be In The Hospital After Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Due to the minimally invasive nature of gastric sleeve surgery, patients are typically discharged from the hospital within 1-3 days. In some cases, patients can even be discharged the same day as their surgery however, this practice is less common and there must be no complications.
During your time in the hospital, you will be monitored by staff, and tests will be administered to ensure there are no major leaks or issues with the incisions. Once you are cleared by your surgeon, you will be allowed to return home to continue your recovery process.
What Do I Need To Do To Achieve Success After Surgery
The basic rules are simple and easy to follow:
- Exercise is key to weight loss and weight maintenance after bariatric surgery. Start with fifteen to thirty minutes each day after surgery. Slowly add to your time to do sixty minutes or more each day.
- Immediately after surgery, your doctor will provide you with special dietary guidelines. You will need to follow these guidelines closely. Allowing time for proper healing of your new stomach pouch is necessary and important.
- When able to eat solids, eat three meals per day, no more. Protein in the form of lean meats and other low-fat sources should be eaten first. These should comprise at least half the volume of the meal eaten. Foods should be cooked without fat and seasoned to taste. Avoid sauces, gravies, butter, margarine, mayonnaise and junk foods.
- Never eat between meals. Do not drink flavored or carbonated beverages even diet soda, between meals.
- Drink two to three quarts or more of water each day. Water must be consumed slowly, one to two mouthfuls at a time, due to the restrictive effect of the operation.
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Stage : 5 Months And Beyond
Starting at the beginning of your fifth month after surgery, you will transition into your final phase of the 4-phase diet, solid foods, also known as the stabilization diet.
This is where you will be able to start eating solid foods as well as continuing your way towards your goal weight. Like mentioned before, this will be different for everyone since no ones journey is exactly the same.
Your diet will still be low calorie, so dont think just because youre in your final phase of the post-op diet means you can start eating anything and everything. Calorie control and high protein are still just as important now as it was in stage 1.
Consistency and determination are key here since this will be by far your longest stage. As you probably already know, the habits you have to establish in regard to diet and exercise are lifelong, but we believe that everyone has the ability to be successful!
The Mental Side To Recovering After Gastric Sleeve
Yes, bariatric surgery is physical and it will undoubtedly help you reach levels of health that you never thought possible! But, with success and a new lifestyle comes challenges.
Psychological side effects are very common in the bariatric community but they can be managed. Talking to a qualified psychologist prior to surgery as well as after surgery can be huge in managing or even avoiding certain psychological issues.
We urge you, do not brush this off to the side if you are having any psychological issues or have had them in the past.
Your mental health is just as important if not more important than anything else!
You may also notice that not everyone will approve of your new life and decision to have surgery, but this is not their life and they probably cant understand why you have decided to change.
Finding a support group of people that have also had surgery will help keep your spirits up and help you stay on the right track, even if people want to bring you down.
You may also notice that certain foods and events that you enjoyed prior to surgery may not be feasible or appropriate after surgery. Food cravings will be strong in the beginning, but if you stay the course and follow the proper guidelines you should see these cravings start to fade away.
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Days 8 Thru 14 Back To Work
Patients go back to work when they feel fully recovered and their doctor gives them the go-ahead. Going back to work can be as soon as 5 days and as late as 3 weeks depending on the level of activity required of your job duties.
For example, patients with a desk job can go back to work relatively quickly as opposed to a construction job that requires heavy lifting and activity levels.
What Will The Staples Do Inside My Abdomen Is It Okay In The Future To Have An Mri Test Will I Set Off Metal Detectors In Airports
The staples used on the stomach and the intestines are very tiny in comparison to the staples you use in the office. Each staple is a tiny piece of stainless steel or titanium so small its hard to see other than as a tiny bright spot. Because titanium and stainless steel are inert in the body, they usually do not cause any problems in the long run. The staple materials are also non-magnetic, which means that they wont be affected by MRI or set off airport metal detectors.
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Exercises To Speed Recovery
The single most effective way to shorten recovery time is to get active right away. Simply walking short distances and even changing positions in bed promotes circulation. Good blood flow enhances healing and discourages the formation of blood clots.
Perform the following exercises at least once every hour after surgery. It’s also a good idea to practice these movements before surgery to promote lung function and agility.
- Beginning the first night after surgery, sit up and dangle your feet, then stand at your bedside with the help of your nurse or physical therapist. This may hurt but will become easier each time. Your strength will return and your pain will lessen every day.
- The day after surgery, you’ll be asked to get out of bed and walk. After that, walk at least three times per day and perform leg and breathing exercises hourly. You may not feel well enough to go for a walk, but try to do as much as possible.
- Your nurse will teach you how to cough and breathe deeply, and you’ll be shown how to use an incentive spirometer to help expand your lungs. Coughing and deep breathing loosen secretions that may accumulate in your throat or lungs and can help prevent pneumonia. Deep breathing also increases circulation and helps your body eliminate the anesthetics that were used for surgery.
How to breathe deeply:
How to exercise your feet and legs:
Immediately After The Surgery
Gastric sleeve is typically performed laparoscopically, and will only take 1-2 hours to complete, under general anaesthetic. When you wake up after the surgery, you will be in the hospital, either in the recovery room or back in your dedicated hospital bed for the day. Your doctor will have already administered pain medication, to ensure that you’re not experiencing severe pain immediately following the surgery.
As the incisions made during surgery will only be small, you’ll feel uncomfortable, but you’ll soon be able to walk around with a little bit of support. Walking and moving around after your surgery is incredibly important moving increases blood flow and helps prevent blood clots, pneumonia and constipation.
During the immediate gastric sleeve recovery time, you’ll be under constant supervision during this period and will have your blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and general vital signs monitored. This is to ensure a smooth gastric sleeve recovery with no risk of complication.
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How Gastric Sleeve Compares To Other Surgeries
Gastric sleeve is just one type of bariatric, or weight loss surgery. There are differences between each type. Discuss all the options with your healthcare provider before deciding on a surgery. This will help you make the best choice.
Keep these two things in mind:
- A gastric sleeve is permanent.This is different than the gastric band procedure. A gastric band “cinches” the stomach to divide it into two pouches. A gastric band can be removed if there is a problem. The part of the stomach removed with the sleeve procedure cannot be replaced if there are problems.
- You may not lose as much weight with a gastric sleeve. Compared to gastric sleeve patients, gastric bypass patients usually lose more weight. They also tend to keep more weight off in the long term. But bypass patients can have their own long-term challenges.
Will I Be Asked To Stop Smoking Why
Patients are highly encouraged to stop smoking at least three months before surgery. Smoking increases the risk of lung problems after surgery, can reduce the rate of healing, increases rates of infection, and interferes with blood supply to the healing tissues. Its possible your surgery could be canceled if you dont comply.
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Your Complete Guide To What To Expect After Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Gastric sleeve surgery is becoming increasingly popular, but if youre thinking about undergoing this type of procedure, its important to understand that successful weight loss requires more than just going under the knife. While surgery can be an extremely effective tool in your weight loss efforts, youll also need to commit to changes after your procedure. To be more prepared for what to expect after your gastric sleeve surgery, use this guide to commit to a healthier lifestyle while you manage the physical and psychological effects of weight loss.
What Is A Gastric Sleeve Procedure
If you undergo this bariatric surgery, the surgeon will remove about 70 to 80 percent of your stomach. The remaining portion of the stomach will be shaped like a tube or sleeve, about the size and shape of a hot dog.
This sleeve is now your stomach. The amount of food and drink you consume at one time will be limited from this point on. Because your short-term diet is limited to liquids, your body will begin to adjust to the changes in food intake.
These hormonal changes help reduce hunger cravings and will make you feel fuller faster. Its all part of the healing process and kickstarts the weight loss. However, its a marathon, not a sprint. While the healing process can take a few weeks to a month, overall target weight loss can take nine months to a year.
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When Can I Eat Normal Food After Gastric Sleeve Surgery
After sleeve gastrectomy, you must follow the diet list given by your dietitian. Here you have to change your eating habits in 3 parts. First, you should start consuming liquid food. For liquid food consumption, you should consume water daily and consume foods with high nutritive rate such as broth and buttermilk. The process of feeding with liquid food consists of 15 days. If you have been fed completely with liquid food for the first 15 days, you should start feeding with puree for the other 15 days. You should consume all the foods you want to consume after pureeing them.
After feeding in this way, you can start the solid food nutrition process. One month after sleeve gastrectomy, you should start consuming solid food. Here, however, you need to feed less and more often than before. It is also essential that you chew the food you take orally more than before. In other words, the transition period to the normal eating period after sleeve gastrectomy takes one month. But now that you are in the weight loss period, you should definitely stay away from excessive food consumption as before.