Weight-loss surgery requires preparation long before the procedure, and a permanent commitment after the gastric surgery. Here's every step you'll encounter.
"Preparing for weight-loss surgery used to take about an hour,"
says Joyce Schone, RD, LD, a dietitian at the University of Minnesota Medical
Center-Fairview in Minneapolis who's worked with weight-loss surgery patients
since 1995. Today, however, patients may start the journey a year before the
actual weight-loss surgery.
During this time, a
bariatric-surgery medical team (which can include a psychologist, dietitian,
fitness trainer, and other professionals in addition to a surgeon and primary
doctor) ensures that weight-loss surgery is a good option for them and that
they're physically and mentally ready for the challenges and lifestyle changes
that obesity surgery brings. "A number of months are spent assessing and
becoming a good candidate," says Schone.
Indeed, the process of
weight-loss surgery is extensive, and proper preparation can determine how
successful it will be. You'll need to make a serious commitment to improving
your health and start a significant lifestyle overhaul long before the day of surgery
— and keep it up permanently.
The preparation and
timeline for weight-loss surgery varies among medical facilities, but here's a
basic outline of what you should expect:
6 to 12 Months Before
Surgery
·
Attend information sessions to decide if weight-loss surgery is right for
you (usually free to the public).
·
Ask your primary-care provider for a referral to an accredited
bariatric-surgery program.
·
Enroll in the bariatric-surgery program, attending all required classes and
meetings.
·
Start exercising three to five times a week for 25 to 30 minutes, with your
doctor's clearance.
·
Begin eating a healthier diet.
2 to 4 Months Before
Surgery
·
Start the preauthorization process with your health-insurance company,
Medicare, or state medical-assistance program.
·
Meet with the bariatric surgeon and set your surgery date.
·
Per your surgeon's requirements, arrange all necessary examinations and
testing to be done before surgery.
·
Make arrangements with your employer for your medical leave of absence.
·
Make certain you're exercising regularly, so it becomes a habit.
·
Start practicing how to eat after surgery. "You should have already
started eating like a person with a smaller stomach, which means reducing your
portion sizes, pacing your meals, chewing your food well, and making good food
choices," says Schone.
4 to 6 Weeks Before
Surgery
·
Review all results from medical evaluations and testing with your surgeon.
Confirm your surgery date. Discuss how to prepare for the day of surgery.
·
Confirm insurance pre-authorization.
·
Meet with your dietitian or nutritionist to fine-tune your postsurgery diet.
·
Continue your exercise routine.
1 to 2 Weeks Before
Surgery
· Follow your surgeon's preoperative instructions closely, and make sure you
are aware of when you need to have all your pre-op examinations and testing
performed and completed.
·
Preregister with the hospital admissions department.
·
Continue to eat according to your dietitian's plan.
2 to 3 Days Before
Surgery
·
Be sure all questions have been answered by your team.
·
Shop for specific food items for your diet after surgery.
24 Hours Before
Surgery
· Follow your team's preoperative instructions and suggestions, especially
those given by your surgeon and anesthesiologist regarding eating and drinking
prior to the procedure.
Day of Surgery
· Bring any medications to the hospital with you, as well as any items your
team has suggested you take along.
Follow-Up Visits After
Surgery
After weight-loss
surgery, an ongoing schedule for follow-up visits is necessary. Here's an
example:
· 5 to 7 days: Appointment with your surgeon or
primary health-care provider to check the progress of your healing
· 1 month: Evaluation with your surgeon or
primary doctor, as well as nutritional and psychological follow-ups as needed
· 3 months: Appointment with your dietitian or
nutritionist to assess your diet; psychological follow-up as needed
· 6 months: Recheck appointment with your primary
doctor and routine blood testing
·
9 months: Appointment with your dietitian or
nutritionist to assess your diet
·
1 year: Recheck appointment with your primary
doctor and routine blood testing
· Annually: Recheck appointment with your primary
doctor and routine blood testing
· 1-2 years or with a BMI (body mass index) less than
30:Consultation for plastic surgery (if needed or desired)
"Preparing for
weight-loss surgery and beyond is a gradual process," emphasizes Daniel
Procter, MD, a bariatric surgeon at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in
Gainesville who's performed weight-loss surgery since 1978. Every step in the
timeline above is important for your success in losing the excess weight,
keeping it off, and improving your health.