Postoperative Check-Ups
You’ll get lifelong follow-up care at Rex Bariatric Specialists from our bariatric team— experts in protecting your health after obesity. Attend all of your postoperative check-ups to maintain your progress and check on your health. They should take place:
- In seven to ten days- typically a telemedicine appointment with our physician assistants
- Three months – With your surgeon
- Six months- With our physician assistant
- One year- with your surgeon
- 1 ½ years- With the physician assistant
- And annually thereafter with our physician assistant
FIRST FEW DAYS OF BARIATRIC SURGERY
You’ll likely return home on the morning after bariatric surgery, as long as your vital signs are stable, and you’re drinking 4oz of clear liquids every hour. Follow some additional guidelines to maximize your healing:
- Walk around your hospital room to stimulate circulation in your legs.
- Practice deep breathing exercises to increase your oxygen intake.
- Don’t be alarmed if your bowel movements are unusual or irregular at first. Constipation or diarrhea are common side effects following surgery.
ACTIVITIES TO AVOID AFTER WEIGHT-LOSS BARIATRIC SURGERY
You can return to most normal activities within a few weeks of weight-loss surgery. For the first two weeks of recovering after bariatric surgery, refrain from:
- Driving (one week and no longer taking pain medication)
- Tub bathing (Daily showers are okay)
- Returning to work we recommend two weeks off from work(Wait four to six weeks if your job is physically demanding.)
- Sexual activity (Wait longer if you’ve had an open procedure, and use reliable contraception for the first two years after surgery.)
BODY CHANGES TO EXPECT
Most of the body changes you experience while recovering after bariatric surgery will decrease or pass altogether after a few days or months:
- If you feel nauseous or vomit after returning home, use anti-nausea medications prescribed in the hospital. Ask your doctor about receiving intravenous fluids if your nausea interferes with eating.
- Keep yourself hydrated; drink at least 64 oz of water every day, and avoid caffeinated beverages.
- If you are still constipated, try stool softening suppositories, Milk of Magnesia, or Miralax.
- To minimize hair loss, maintain protein and vitamin regimen.
Patient SUCCESS STORIES
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Measure Success?
- Measurements of your waist, hips, thighs and arms
- Body fat percentage
- Body mass index
- Blood pressure
- Cholesterol and blood sugar levels
Hear the bariatric surgery success stories of patients like you.
How To Improve Your Weight-Loss Surgery Recovery
How to Get Started Today
Patient Testimonials
See what our patients are saying and get real testimonials from real patients.