Is Surgical Weight Loss Right for Me?
For those who are morbidly obese, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends weight loss surgery. At Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, we perform the following surgical weight loss procedures:
For a detailed look at surgical weight loss options and to determine if this is right for you, complete the below form to watch our informational video, featuring Paul Ross, MD.
Health Benefits of Weight Loss Surgery
If you qualify for weight loss surgery, the following conditions or diseases are considered co-morbidities that can accompany obesity. After surgical weight loss, on average, research reveals that patients experienced the following improvements:
- Pseudotumor cerebri (unexplained pressure inside the skull): 96 percent resolved
- High cholesterol: 63 percent resolved
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: 90 percent improved buildup of fat in liver cells, 37 percent resolved inflammation
- Depression: 55 percent resolved
- Obstructive sleep apnea: 74 to 98 percent resolved
- Asthma: 82 percent improved or resolved
- Cardiovascular disease: 82 percent risk reduction
- Hypertension: 52 to 92 percent resolved
- Metabolic syndrome: 80 percent resolved
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): 72 to 98 percent resolved
- Type 2 diabetes: 83 percent resolved
- Stress urinary incontinence: 44 to 88 percent resolved
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome: 79 percent resolution of male pattern hair growth in women, 100 percent resolution of menstrual dysfunction
- Degenerative joint disease: 41 to 76 percent resolved
- Venous stasis disease: 95 percent resolved
- Gout: 77 percent resolved
In addition to these improvements, surgical weight loss has been found to improve quality of life in 95 percent of patients and reduce their risk of death within ten years by 30-40 percent.
Pre-Surgery Checklist
Click here to download a helpful checklist of what to do before weight loss surgery.
Recovery Time
Recovery time will vary depending the type of surgery you had and the complexity of your case. Average recovery times include:
- Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: You can expect to stay in the hospital for two nights and resume your normal daily activities in two to four weeks.
- Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery: You can expect to stay in the hospital for two nights and return to normal activities within two to four weeks.
Diet after Weight Loss Surgery
After weight loss surgery, you will need to adjust your eating habits in order to heal from surgery, maintain your weight loss and make health improvements, such as lowering your cholesterol or blood pressure. Behavior changes typically include:
- Eating three to four small, regular meals and planned snacks each day
- Focusing on lean protein, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and a small amount of healthy fats
- Avoiding added sugars, concentrated sweets like fruit juice (whole fruits are usually okay), and fried or greasy foods
- Consuming sufficient protein to maintain muscle mass that promotes wound healing and immune function. Depending on your individual needs, this may average 60 to 100 grams per day.
- Taking vitamins and supplements as directed by your physician
Risks of an Unhealthy Diet after Weight Loss Surgery
Resuming poor eating habits can result in:
- Lack of initial weight loss
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Weight gain
- Modifying your behavior is important, because your body will tolerate food differently after surgery. For example, after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, high-fat foods may cause nausea, diarrhea and/or vomiting. Additionally, with any of the weight loss surgeries you may have pain or discomfort when consuming sticky, starchy foods, such as white rice or doughy bread.
Appetite after Weight Loss Surgery
Your appetite will likely change after you undergo weight loss surgery. Many gastric bypass patients have to remind themselves to eat on a regularly basis.
Support After Weight Loss Surgery
After weight loss surgery, our team is here to support you. We offer:
- Support groups
- Individual counseling
Contact Us
Upcoming Events
Related Locations
News & Highlights
