- What kind of pain will I have?
- You may have some left shoulder or neck pain. This is from the gas that we use to inflate your abdomen so that we can see during the procedure. It tends to irritate the lining of the diaphragm, which causes the pain. If you have a hiatal hernia repaired at the time of your surgery, it may aggravate it even more. Some patients don’t experience it at all, while others have it on and off for a week or two. There is no magic cure for this other than time.
- You will also experience some pain around your sternum/breast bone area, as well as around your belly button. It is common to feel some mild pain when you take a deep breath due to irritation of the diaphragm.
- How do I care for my incisions?
- Remove the dressings (if still present) the next morning after you are discharged. For bypass and SIPS patients, this may be done by the nurses before you leave the facility. Usually we use glue to close the incisions so nothing needs to be done after the bandages come off. In cases where we use Steri-strips (strips of tape over the incision that are directly on the skin) instead of glue, just leave them in place; they will curl and begin to fall off in about 10-14 days. If they are still in place by two weeks after your surgery, gently peel them off. The incisions may itch during healing; this is normal. Do not scratch the area!
- You may have a little drainage from the incisions, which is ok. The drainage should be clear to pinkish-colored. If your incision develops any thick drainage, greenish-brown color, foul odor, redness and/or tenderness, it may be a sign that your incision is infected. If this is the case, email us pictures of the concerned area and call us!
- Can I shower/bathe or swim?
- It is ok to shower with soap starting the day after discharge from the facility. Pat the incision dry after showering. Do not take a bath, soak in water, swim, or get in a hot tub for at least 2 weeks.
- When can I drive?
- Do not drive for at least 72 hours or until your pain is gone and does not require prescription pain medicine. You can not be taking any pain medicines stronger than Tylenol, Advil, or Aleve at the time you are driving, nor should you be having a great deal of pain, as this will affect your ability to react. Pain can make it hard to move quickly!
- How much can I lift?
- No lifting, pushing, pulling or tugging over 10 lbs for the first week. You can increase the limit by 10 additional pounds for every subsequent week. After 4 weeks you can lift as much as you feel comfortable.
- When can I start exercising?
- Right after surgery, please get up and move/walk around every hour and increase your activity as tolerated. After a few days, walk as much as you can tolerate. This will make you feel better sooner, decrease your risk of complications, and improve your bowel functions. After two weeks, you may try light aerobic activity like walking on a treadmill or elliptical machine, bike riding, or other activities that don’t put strain on your abdominal muscles. After 4 weeks, you can resume any type of activity you wish.
- When can I go up stairs?
- You may go up stairs slowly right after surgery, as long as you do not feel dizzy. Have someone around the first time or two you go up. Anytime you feel faint you should sit or lie down.
- When can I return to work?
- Returning to work will depend on the type of work you do. The more movement and heavy lifting involved with the job, the more time may be needed before being able to return. Ask your surgeon to determine the best time to resume work duties, but typically it’s about a week for a gastric band and 1-2 weeks for gastric bypass and sleeve. If you have a job that involves lifting, it will be 3-4 weeks.
- How do I manage constipation?
- It’s very common not to have a bowel movement for up to 5 days after surgery. If you are prone to constipation, you may begin to take Miralax powder the day after surgery. You can also add Colace if needed. If you still do not have a bowel movement within 5 days of surgery, try Milk of Magnesia® (2 Tablespoons, twice a day). If this does not work after one day, try 2 Dulcolax® suppositories. If none of these measures help, call the office and ask to speak to a nurse.
- How do I manage my bloating/gas issues?
- Anesthesia and narcotics are known to slow your bowel motility down. Walking will help to stimulate the bowel and increase the motility. Some foods may make you develop unusual bloating or heavy gas as well. If you feel these symptoms, avoid those foods or cut your food intake until you have relief of these symptoms. You may also take over-the-counter medication for gas or bloating (that can be chewed, such as Mylicon or Gas-X) for the temporary relief of these symptoms.
- What do I do if I vomit?
- Vomiting is very common, especially in the first few days after surgery. If you vomit, you may have eaten or drank too quickly, too much, or the food may have been too solid. Wait four hours and then try one ounce of liquid that doesn’t have any sugar. If this liquid does not make you nauseous or vomit, then take only liquids until the next day. Then you can try pureed or solid foods again, depending on the diet stage you are currently on. However, if you have constant vomiting, or vomiting that looks black, bloody or like coffee grounds, this could indicate a problem you should call the office immediately.
- What about pregnancy?
- Women should avoid getting pregnant for 18 months after any type of weight loss surgery. Rapid weight loss also rapidly increases fertility, so birth control must be used correctly and at all times to avoid pregnancy, even if you were not able to get pregnant in the past. A barrier contraceptive (such as a condom, diaphragm or patch) is suggested in addition to the birth control pill, as hormone changes may alter the effectiveness of the birth control pill. We get calls from patients all the time who end up pregnant a few months after surgery, who didn’t think they could get pregnant. So take this seriously!
- When do I follow-up after surgery?
- You will meet with you’re the team 7-14 days after surgery for a post-op check of your incisions and diet follow-up. If you live out-of-town, we may be able to do this visit by phone or virtual visit. If you can, take a digital picture of your incisions and email them to us at provider@curryweightloss.com.
- It is a good idea to make an appointment with your primary care physician for about 2 weeks after your surgery date to monitor your medical conditions.
- A member of the team is always available to take your call in the case of an emergency. You can reach the on-call provider by calling the office and following the phone message prompts at 513-559-1222, or 877-442-2263.
- For Lap Band patients, when will I get my band adjusted?
- For band patients, the first adjustment of your Lap Band will be done at the 4 week visit in the office. We recommend that you see the team every 4-8 weeks initially, until your band is adjusted appropriately for you, then every 2-3 months for the remainder of the first year, every 4-6 months for the second, and yearly thereafter. We will evaluate the need for additional adjustments at each follow-up appointment.
- On the day of any band adjustment, eat a light breakfast (like Carbmaster Yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese, nothing solid). After each adjustment, you must go back to liquids for the rest of the day, pureed the following day, and then to soft solid foods for a day (or longer if necessary).
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