Obesity Weight Loss Surgery

Gastric banding or lap band surgery can be performed on people who are morbidly obese and overweight. It can be carried out on individuals who need emergency medical intervention due to significant risks to their health and well-being. This procedure may leave your stomach no bigger than a tennis ball, which means you can feel fuller quicker and for longer. Major weight loss can be quickly achieved. As the procedure can cause a number of anatomical changes to your gut, a special diet before and after surgery may need to be implemented. Your doctor will plan a diet tailored to your situation but the following information will give you an indication of how your diet might need to be altered before and after surgery and why.

Our bodies become used to receiving a certain amount of food each day. Profoundly obese and overweight people can consume a large amount of calories every day due to their stomach sizes. Such a diet may need to be gradually changed prior to the gastric banding procedure. Changing a diet slowly can help prevent or alleviate maladjustment to a reduced calorie intake.

About two weeks prior to surgery doctors tend to advise their patients to stop cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. They may also instruct their patients to cease the intake of unnecessarily high cholesterol substances, like whole milk and fried foods. During that period, patients might be instructed to adopt a new diet consisting of oatmeal or cereal for breakfast, along with other daily meals that provide nutrition without high fat content. Protein supplements might also be included and a patient might be advised against consuming foods that are rich in carbohydrates, such as potatoes, rice and bread.

The pre-operation diet is intended to help prevent severe side effects after gastric banding surgery. Your recovery can also be aided by proper nutrition. Fat around the liver tends to make the liver smaller, and as the surgical procedure is ideally conducted when the liver is as large as it can be, intake of fatty substances may need to be reduced. The reduction of fatty triglycerides around the spleen may also reduce bleeding during the operation and regular consumption of protein may help to bolster muscle fibres in preparation for surgery.

Your doctor should also instruct you on the food intake that is appropriate following the medical intervention. Some items, for example, fruit and nuts might be ruled out, at least for several days after the operation. This is because some nuts and fruits can be difficult to digest and their consumption could cause blockages in the small intestine. Depending on your circumstances, your doctor might also advise you to keep up fluid intake and stick to pureed meals for several weeks after the surgery.

The gastric banding operation involves the attachment of a silicon band to the upper part of your gut. This can allow your stomach size to be adjusted periodically as you adapt to your new diet. Gastric banding can be a life changing experience. If you think it might be an option for you, discuss it with a medical practitioner today.

Find out how much it costs to start living your life.

Empowering people to live life with good health.