Take regular supplements

If you have had obesity surgery, especially bypass surgery, you will be required to follow a wellbalanced diet and take nutritional supplements and medications for the rest of your life. Some bypass surgery patients develop nutritional deficiencies such as anaemia, osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease – although these can be avoided if a balanced diet and daily vitamin and mineral supplements are taken. Our specialists will closely monitor you to ensure that any potential problems are picked up early.

Our specialists will discuss with you the impacts of surgery with you before a decision about whether to operate is made. You will also have a contact point within the hospital to ensure that any problems you have are dealt with as quickly as possible.

You may experience one or more of the following changes as your body reacts to the rapid weight loss in the first three to six months:

• Nausea
• Body aches
• Feeling of tiredness similar to flu
• Feeling cold
• Dry skin
• Hair thinning or hair loss
• Mood changes
• Changes in bowel movements
• Constipation
• Loss of muscle mass

Patients should contact their physician if they experience any of the following:

• Fever
• Chills
• Redness or swelling at the incision site
• Bleeding or other drainage from the incision site
• Increased pain at the incision site

Physicians monitor gastric bypass patients closely for several years after surgery. Continued attention to weight loss and diet is essential for a successful outcome, and the patient is likely to consult with a registered dietitian or other dietary expert in planning appropriate meals. Patients may participate in support groups or use other methods to help adjust to their new lifestyle.

As people lose weight over the next one to two years they may develop excess skin. These patients may benefit from plastic surgery aimed at correcting the condition.