how to prepare for bariatric surgery / preparing for gastric sleeve surgery

Getting Exercise

Start exercising before surgery if you can — the earlier you build the habit, the easier it is to keep up afterward. Daily walking improves circulation and makes breathing easier after surgery. Building your exercise plan now means you won't have to figure one out while you're recovering. A pedometer is a simple way to track your progress.

If joint pain makes daily walking difficult, water-based exercise is easier on the joints while still supporting your breathing and circulation.

Hygiene

Good skin integrity at the operative site matters. Keep the area clean and dry in the days leading up to surgery — skin breakdown can delay your procedure.

Medications and Supplements

Stop aspirin-based medications at least 10 days before surgery. The same goes for herbal supplements that thin the blood, like garlic, ginkgo biloba, and St. John's Wort, and supplements like valerian root and kava that can interact with anesthesia.

Bring a full list of everything you take to your surgeon, including multivitamins — many contain herbal ingredients you might not expect. Check the labels on over-the-counter medications too, since some contain aspirin. If you're not sure about something, ask Dr. Mailapur or your pharmacist.

Tobacco

Smoking affects lung function and increases anesthesia complication risk, along with raising your risk of deep vein thrombosis. Reduced circulation to the skin from smoking can slow incision healing, and smokers under anesthesia face a higher risk of cardiopulmonary complications, including pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, or collapsed air sacs in the lungs. Smoking also increases stomach acid production, which raises ulcer risk.

Quit smoking at least 8 weeks before surgery, and don't start again afterward — this is a firm requirement, not a suggestion. If you need help quitting, ask your primary care physician about a prescription medication that can help.

Alcohol

Alcohol irritates the gastric region and can damage the liver, which becomes more vulnerable during rapid weight loss — even a small amount can hit differently than it used to. Alcohol's empty calories can also trigger dumping syndrome. For these reasons, avoid alcohol entirely for the first year after surgery, and keep it infrequent after that.

Work and Time Off

Most patients return to work somewhere between one and four weeks after surgery, depending on the individual. How much time you need depends on your job, your overall health, how badly your workplace needs you back, your motivation, which procedure you had, and your energy level. Dr. Mailapur recommends planning for 2 weeks off.

You're recovering from more than the surgery itself — you're also adjusting to eating less and losing weight quickly. Those first weeks matter for learning your new digestive system, resting, exercising, and connecting with others who've had the same surgery. Take the time if you're able to.

You don't have to tell coworkers what kind of surgery you're having, but you do need to tell your employer that you're having major abdominal surgery, since that affects how much time you'll likely need — generally at least two weeks — and matters if you'll receive any compensation during recovery. Ask your employer for any paperwork you'll need, and let them know you won't be able to lift more than 10 to 15 pounds for three weeks after surgery.