What is The Recovery After Weight Loss Surgery
In this video, Dr. Erik Lough discusses the recovery process following weight loss surgery. He highlights the importance of early mobilization, effective pain management, and a gradual return to normal activities. Patients are encouraged to start walking shortly after surgery and can typically return to work within a few weeks, depending on the nature of their job.
TRANSCRIPT
Hi, I’m Dr. Erik Lough, answering common questions that patients ask me about general and weight loss surgery. Today, I answer the question: What is the recovery like for weight loss surgery?
Recovery actually starts on the day of surgery, and preparation for recovery begins a few hours before surgery begins. I give my patients a carbohydrate drink 2 hours before surgery in the form of something like a sports drink. This helps with dehydration, low blood sugar, and overall low energy since you have had no food or drink since midnight. We will also give you some pain medication by mouth, like Tylenol and an anti-inflammatory, which will help reduce pain after surgery.
Once in the recovery room, nurses will help you drink some liquids and let you start walking around within hours after surgery. You can go home the same day or we can tuck you in for the night if need be. As soon as you are awake, we start you on the post-op diet of sugar-free clear liquids. I have another video about the post-op diet progression that you can check out.
I send the prescription for your post-op pain meds days ahead of time so they are already waiting for you at the house when you get home, and patients take these non-narcotic meds every several hours around the clock for about 3 days. The small incisions are painful, but not that bad, and 3 days is most anyone ever needs.
The stitches are dissolvable, and the dressing is glue, which is waterproof so you can start showering the day after surgery. Benefits of laparoscopic and robotic surgery are early mobility and less pain. So I tell my patients you can immediately walk around, go up and down stairs, get in and out of bed, and the more usual movement the better. Just don’t do anything strenuous or lift anything heavier than 30 lbs for 2 weeks.
If you have a sedentary job and are mainly on a phone or computer, you can go back to work in several days pretty much whenever your pain is gone or mild and when you have enough energy to get through a full day of work. If your job is more strenuous, physical, or requires heavy lifting more than 30 lbs, then you would have to go back only under light duty, or just wait the full 2 weeks until I say you can lift heavier again.
I see all my patients for their first post-op visit at 2 weeks, and most everyone is ready to get back to normal, return to work, advance to the next phase in the diet, and begin their exercise program they have been planning.
