Preparing for Weight Loss Surgery - Don't Forget the Emotional Side

What should I do in the days before weight loss surgery to prepare for surgery?

This is a common question among those who have chosen to have bariatric surgery as their path to weight loss: What do I need to do before the surgery? What does preparing for weight loss surgery involve? Are there any dietary restrictions I should be aware of? Et cetera.

At this juncture, the important thing to remember is that preparing for weight loss surgery is a mental act as well as a physical one. After all, you are making life-changing alterations to your body's chemistry, so you need to have the right mindset about what's to come. Preparing for weight loss surgery is equal parts physical and emotional.

The physical side of preparing for surgery should be fairly straightforward, because your weight loss surgeon should provide you with a pre-surgery checklist to follow. On the contrary, the mental / emotional side of preparing for weight loss surgery is something a surgeon may not be able to help you with. Surgeons perform surgery -- not emotional assessments.

Here are some tips to help you emotionally prepare for weight loss surgery:

* Make an effort to learn everything you possibly can about weight loss surgery in general, and your chosen procedure in particular. By becoming a "quasi-expert" on the subject of weight loss surgery, you will have an easier time preparing for it, and your mind will be more at ease.

* If possible, establish a relationship (or at least a dialogue) with someone who has undergone weight loss surgery in the past. Such a person could offer emotional support as well as advice on preparing for a weight loss surgery procedure.

* Journals are popular among weight loss surgery patients. Many people use them to chronicle their journey, record their reasons for having the surgery, etc. Consider starting one of your own.

I hope this brief guide helps you in preparing for weight loss surgery and all that it entails.

* You may republish this article online if you retain the author's note with active hyperlinks below.


By Brandon R. Cornett


Check Out the Related Article : Is Losing Weight Quickly Good for Your Health?

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Weight Loss Surgery - Possible Complications and Risks

Any type of surgery comes with a certain degree of risk, and weight loss surgery (also known as bariatric surgery) is no different. But what are the potential complications of weight loss surgery, and how common are they? We will attempt to answer these questions here.

What is Weight Loss Surgery?

Before we talk about the possible complications of weight loss surgery, we need to define what this type of surgery entails, just so we are on the same page. Simply stated, bariatric surgery and weight loss surgery both refer to the same thing -- various types of surgery intended to help obese patients lose weight.

In her book The Patient’s Guide to Weight Loss Surgery, author April Hochstrasser defines bariatric surgery as "surgery on the stomach and/or intestines to help people lose weight by altering the normal digestive process."

Complications of Weight Loss Surgery

The complications associated with weight loss surgery vary, based on the type of surgery being performed. And, of course, the potential risks and complications of general surgery apply here as well.

Potential complications of general surgery:

* Respiratory problems
* Risk of infection (from incision area)
* Excessive bleeding (internal or external)
* Allergic reaction to medicines
* Reactions to anesthesia

Potential complications of weight loss surgery:

* Leaking of stomach acid or bacteria into the abdominal cavity
* Vitamin and mineral deficiencies as a result of malabsorption
* Hernia in the abdominal wall (with gastric bypass)
* Dumping syndrome (heart palpitations, nausea, sweating, etc.)

The major risks of weight loss surgery:

* Leaking of stomach content into other areas
* Blood clots
* Respiratory failure

According to the University of Iowa report "Mortality in Obesity Surgery," the majority of patients who die within a month of weight loss surgery suffer one of the three major complications above.

* You may republish this article online if you retain the author's byline and the active hyperlinks below.


By Brandon R. Cornett

Check Out the Related Article : Is Losing Weight Quickly Good for Your Health?

Read More