What Happens after Obesity Surgery?
After surgery, patients must remain committed to achieving their weight loss goals. Diet and exercise are crucial components of bariatric surgery follow-up care. Since gastric bypass and the LAP BAND procedure limit the amount of food a person can consume, it is important to make sure your meals are high in protein and vitamins. Regular exercise, such as brisk walking, is necessary to improve muscle tone and increase the amount of calories that are burned on a daily basis. Weight loss after obesity surgery is generally a gradual process and varies on an individual basis. Some patients can lose up to 20 pounds per month after surgery, but others lose much less. If you don’t follow your doctor’s diet and exercise recommendations, you may never lose a significant amount of weight. Gastric bypass produces a more rapid initial weight loss than the LAP BAND procedure, although both forms of bariatric surgery have similar long term success rates.