What is the post-operative treatment after the surgery?
After the operation, the patient usually remains in hospital for two or three days. There, daily checks are made on the patient’s wound conditions and general condition. An essential aspect of the post-operative treatment after the insertion of a gastric band is the slow build-up of food.
On the first day after the operation, liquid food is started, which is taken slowly throughout the day. Depending on the hospital, the diet varies and the patient receives precise instructions on how to build up the diet. Usually the liquid diet is maintained for the first two weeks after the surgery.
This is followed by a phase in which soft food is taken. Normal food is often on the menu after four weeks. Under no circumstances, however, can you eat what you want, but must strictly observe several things.
Eating and drinking should be separated in order not to overload the reduced stomach. In addition, the food must be chewed very thoroughly so that the narrowing created by the gastric band can be overcome. In addition, sweets, sugary drinks (cola, lemonade, but also juices!)
and alcohol should be avoided due to their high calorie content. Since these can pass through the stomach relatively unhindered, they otherwise stand in the way of the desired weight loss effect. In addition, regular check-ups are necessary as an important part of the after-treatment.
When and how often these are required depends on the clinic where the operation was performed. The patient is usually informed about the information in a preliminary consultation. The pain caused by the operation is felt differently by each person.
However, painkillers are administered both during the operation and afterwards. If the pain is more severe, the doctor should be informed without hesitation to increase the dose or switch to another painkiller. It is not necessary to simply endure the pain and there is no need to worry about any harmful effects if the pain is temporary.
Since gastric band surgery is a keyhole procedure, some patients complain of pressure pain in the abdomen or shoulders in the days following the surgery.These are caused by the gas that is introduced into the abdominal cavity during this surgical procedure. After a few days these pains subside again. After the operation and the healing phase, there may be pain or a feeling of pressure in the stomach area if larger quantities have been eaten than can pass through the narrowing in the stomach. In this case, care must be taken to eat smaller portions.
