Frequently Asked Questions Before Bariatric Surgery
What can I do before surgery to improve my outcomes from surgery?
Getting a comprehensive blood test before surgery can be useful to correct any deficiencies and monitor any changes.
Reflecting on your eating and seeking advice about your diet can significantly improve your surgery experience.
Weight loss surgery is a big decision and unfortunately is not a 'magic bullet' for weight loss; it still requires long term commitment. Gradual changes to your lifestyle BEFORE surgery can make the transition a lot easier and more successful.
Seeing a dietitian prior to surgery and for follow up afterwards has been shown to improve nutrition status and maximise long-term weight loss.
Should I be using a meal replacement in the lead up to surgery?
The use of meal replacements (e.g. shakes) before surgery is largely up to the surgeon and what they deem appropriate for you.
What could I expect from a visit to a Dietitian before surgery?
Your first visit to a dietitian will likely include collecting information about your medical history, discussing your motivations for surgery, talking through your current eating patterns and answering any questions you may have about nutrition.
What do I eat straight after surgery?
For the first 1-2 weeks following surgery, usually a liquid diet is required. This allows your stomach to recover from surgery.
Do I really need multivitamins after surgery and which one is best?
This is something that depends on the type of surgery you have, the types of foods you are eating after surgery and any signs/symptoms you are showing that point to deficiency.
Generally, all people having a gastric sleeve or gastric bypass procedures will need to take a multivitamin lifelong. It is best to start a chewable bariatric-specific multivitamin soon after surgery and have follow up blood tests. You can talk to your dietitian about how to take multivitamins, what to ask for as part of your blood tests and how long you need your multivitamin for.
Transformed has BN Multi chewable multivitamins available for purchase.