Top 5 Most Common Gastric Sleeve Recovery Issues
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Have you been contemplating certain weight loss surgeries but unsure of the risks that come along with it? Maybe your surgery is already scheduled and right around the corner, giving you those nervous butterflies that keep you up at night.
It may seem like there are always dangers when it comes to surgery— so, it’s normal to have questions or concerns, such as a gastric sleeve recovery issues, or any potential health uncertainties you could possibly face.
Even though the gastric sleeve procedure might seem scary, it’s critical to learn everything you possibly can about it beforehand, such as what the surgery entails, and the proper steps you’ll be taking to ensure a healthy recovery by preventing gastric sleeve recovery issues. Knowledge is power, you know this!
First things first, let’s quickly discuss what a gastric sleeve, or sleeve gastrectomy, is. The gastric sleeve procedure decreases the size of your stomach, helping you achieve weight loss. The dramatic decrease in stomach size significantly restricts the amount of food you’re able to consume, making weight loss a much more attainable goal.
For most, gastric sleeve surgery is a pivotal decision to make when seeking a healthier and happier “you.” Speaking of becoming the best “you” you can be, you may first consider a weight loss coach if you feel like you need a little more support or guidance on your personal weight loss journey.
Before we get into gastric sleeve recovery issues, we want you to pause for a minute and remember: it’s ok if the thought of weight loss surgery scares you.
Feeling overwhelmed about not only the procedure itself but also the outcome is enough to feed anyone’s anxiety! Take a deep breath and keep your focus on the end goal.
Gastric Sleeve Recovery Issues: Educate Yourself For Success
As we mentioned earlier, most people experience high levels of satisfaction after their gastric sleeve procedure. Unfortunately, there are risks associated with this surgery.
The good news is, the more you know about your potential risks, the better you’ll feel and in our opinion, the better results you’ll see.
Below, we’ve listed the top 5 most common gastric sleeve recovery issues that we feel are not just the most common, but also ones that people don’t always tell you about. You might be surprised at what you learn!
1. Intolerance to Specific Foods
You’ve probably heard from your doctor or read online, that one of the benefits of the gastric sleeve procedure is that all foods can be consumed after the procedure takes place.
This procedure is different from other bariatric surgeries that might prohibit you from eating certain food groups immediately following surgery.
However, just because the gastric sleeve surgery doesn’t prohibit you from eating specific foods, doesn’t mean your body will be up for tolerating all food groups.
You may find that after surgery, the foods that settle the most are ones that are more subtle (such as chicken noodle soup or plain toast) with the least amount of flavoring—signaling to you to stray away from spicy or acidic foods.
Any intolerance to a particular food group is how we back up certain statements we often say, such as, “Listen to what your body is telling you.” If you don’t feel well after eating a small bowl of pasta or rice, it’s probably best to avoid until you’re fully recovered.
2. The Need for Nutritional Supplements
Many bariatric surgery patients require vitamin or mineral supplements after surgery. The need for these supplements isn’t necessarily because of your inability to absorb nutrients, but more because of the intake of food (or lack thereof.)
Since your stomach is literally shrinking, the decrease in food intake can lead to difficulties when it comes to adequate nutrition. Eating a whole-foods or well-rounded diet might not cut it in terms of the proper nutrients your body needs daily.
It might be beneficial to research some credible vitamins and supplements before your surgery, so you can get ahead of the game and ensure that your body isn’t left wanting or craving for certain nutrients it needs to heal from surgery.
If you’re still unsure of which weight loss surgery is best for you, or the procedures and recovery time of each surgery, read an article published by WebMD, Which Weight-Loss Surgery Is Best?
3. Addiction Transfer
Addiction or dependency upon food is sometimes something we don’t initially think of when we talk about weight loss and weight loss surgery. However, you might have depended on eating more than you think you have.
When you’re no longer able to use food as a way to make yourself feel better or cure your mind of a rough day at work, it’s a possibility (and a risk) that you turn to something else.
Now, we’re not in any way saying that a gastric sleeve procedure will make you form addictive habits. But as you know, we’re all about informing you of the most common issues or concerns that not everyone talks about when it comes to gastric sleeve recovery issues.
4. Regain of Weight
One of the complications that gastric sleeve patients might face, and probably worry about the most, is the chance of gaining back the weight you lost.
Typically, most weight gain seems to show up about 2-3 years after the surgery takes place, once your body has had enough time to get used to its new stomach.
Bariatric procedures are such a great tool for weight loss. However, it’s up to you to change the unhealthy habits that brought you to the surgery in the first place. Without a total change in mindset and lifestyle, you might not see the results you’re looking for.
5. Gallstones, Nausea, or Stomach Ulcers
We haven’t spoken much about the physical symptoms you could potentially face while you recover from your gastric sleeve recovery procedure, but it’s certainly something that shouldn’t go overlooked.
There are many symptoms that can follow this procedure, just like any other procedure. However, choosing an experienced doctor should help alleviate your inability of knowing that these symptoms might come up.
Remember, everyone is different, and everyone recovers differently. You might recover slower than others, or you might have symptoms that others don’t have, and that’s ok. As long as you continue to see slow and gradual results, you’re headed in the right direction for recovery.
We recently wrote an article very similar to this one, that focuses more on having successful results once recovering, that you might find interesting. Read it here, After Sleeve Gastrectomy: 7 Secrets For Success.
BariBoss is dedicated to you and your weight loss journey. We are here to help you achieve your weight loss goals, no matter what those might be. Everyone is on a different path when it comes to bettering themselves, and that’s what makes our job so fulfilling and rewarding. If you’d like to learn more about weight loss recovery, weight loss coaching, or any of the services we offer, reach out to us here. Let us help you become your own BariBoss.