At Atlanta Bariatrics, your treatment doesn’t end after the surgery is completed – far from it. We offer a comprehensive, fully integrated program of follow-up, including ongoing education (both in person and online), fitness, nutrition, support, and community activities, all designed to keep you on a long-term path to wellness.
We even have registered dietitians on our team who are dedicated to helping you maintain your new weight and achieve long-term success.
Read more about our support and post-surgery recovery program to learn what you can expect in the weeks and months following your bariatric procedure.
Immediately, you will notice a difference in the amount and type of food you can eat. In conjunction with recommendations from your surgeon, you will receive personalized nutritional counseling from our registered dietitians. Since the amount of food you can eat will be much less, it becomes very important to eat the right types of food to be sure your body gets enough nutrients. Daily vitamin and mineral supplements will be necessary.
Some weight-related medical problems may be alleviated or eliminated after surgery. Such conditions include
diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux, and weight-related depression. Significant weight loss may also decrease your risk of heart disease and some types of cancer. Additionally, people who struggle with these problems may be able to reduce – and sometimes even eliminate – the number of medications they’re taking for these conditions.
Lifelong supplementation of vitamins and minerals must be taken to prevent nutritional deficiencies such as anemia and osteoporosis. Women of childbearing age must avoid becoming pregnant during the first 1-2 years after gastric bypass surgery. Nutritional deficiencies during the rapid weight loss period after surgery could harm the developing baby. At Atlanta Bariatrics, you and your doctor will carefully review the risks weighed against the benefits of surgery for your particular situation.
The recovery time and process vary with every individual, depending on the surgical procedure and a variety of other factors. Generally speaking, by following an exercise regimen and dietary guidelines closely – and taking the prescribed medication – you’ll be back to normal activities before you know it.
Resuming a normal diet will take some time and patience, as you adjust to a new way of eating. But you’ll learn to “listen” to your body and proceed with what feels comfortable to you. Remember, we’re always here to help, and you are not in this alone.
There are several support groups in the area. Guest speakers are frequently invited to speak and there is time for patients to share information. These meetings are for all patients, not just those who may be having problems. Visit our Support Group Events Calendar for locations, times, and dates.
In post-operative patients, we ask that patients take vitamins and supplements due to their rapid weight loss and dietary changes. Our team of registered dietitians is here to support you at every step of your weight loss journey.
Learn more about the services available from our registered dietitians here.
Exercise is important. We all know that. Most of our bariatric patients are “de-conditioned” because of their excess weight and lack of activity. It is our goal at Atlanta Bariatrics to help you become more capable. Stamina and flexibility are the main goals. Helping you return to independence in your life is an important target in our program.
Maintaining your independence is key. It’s not how much weight you lose that counts, it's how much your life improves and how much you keep off that matters. Our specialists are here to help. We have plans for all ages, all interests, and all degrees of conditioning. It’s important. It’s your life. It’s your choice.
It is reasonable to expect to lose about 60 percent of your excess body weight after surgery, although this can be much higher or lower depending on compliance with proper diet and exercise. Most patients stabilize at their new lower weight between 1 and 2 years after surgery, although dramatic weight loss can often be seen within the first few weeks to months.
Exercise is important. Most people find that as the weight comes off after surgery, it becomes easier to exercise. Then, as they exercise more the weight comes off even more. It’s like a reverse snowball effect: as a snowball rolls downhill it goes faster and grows bigger – but instead of a snowball getting bigger, it is you getting smaller and healthier! We recommend that our patients exercise at least 30 minutes a day at least 5 days a week.
Weight loss surgery is not without risk. The risks of surgery must be weighed carefully against the benefits of weight loss. Any major surgery carries risks of anesthesia, bleeding, infection, blood clots, and pulmonary embolism – any of these can be minor or very serious including death. In addition, Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery carry specific risks, including but not limited to hernia, gallbladder problems, bowel obstruction, and leak or narrowing along the staple lines or at the anastomosis (where the bowels are hooked back together in the gastric bypass).
At Atlanta Bariatrics, we want it to be as easy as possible to get started on your journey toward meeting your weight loss goals. Just use our simple scheduling tool to request your initial consultation. Our office staff will work with you to make sure you get the care and support that you need.