Gastric Bypass Surgery Information Pamphlet

Transcription

1 Gastric Bypass Surgery Information Pamphlet Page 1

2 After your Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass Surgery Your doctor has performed gastric bypass surgery to help you lose weight. Your stomach is now reduced to a small pouch that limits how much you can eat at one time. The success of this surgery depends on how well you are able to follow instructions for diet, exercise and lifestyle changes. The plan is to have you home 2 days after your surgery. Food and Drink Now that your stomach is smaller you will need to change your eating habits. Preoperatively, the dietician would have given you the information to help you create meal plans with the correct type, amount and texture of foods. By following the guidelines for a balanced diet, you will be able to lose weight safely. The first evening after your surgery you will have an intravenous and you will be able to have sips of sugarless clear fluids. The day after your surgery you will have clear fluids (30-60 ml) each hour. If tolerating clear fluids, the next day you will be able to have full fluids ( ml) each hour. Straws and carbonated drinks which can introduce gas into the stomach should be avoided. Pain Control You may have some pain from your incisions. You may also have pain in your shoulders from the air that is put in your abdomen to help the surgeon during the surgery. The pain usually decreases within the first three days. It is important that if you have pain, take your pain medication before the pain becomes worse. The pain should be less each day. Call the Bariatric Clinic and speak to a member of the team if your pain is not relieved by medication or does not go away after a few weeks. Medications The doctor will tell you when to start taking your usual medications. Your doctor may prescribe a special medication to prevent stomach ulcers. Page 2

3 Medication to Prevent Blood Clots After surgery you have a higher risk of getting a blood clot. A blood clot can be very dangerous. A blood clot can block a blood vessel so blood cannot flow through your body. Your doctor may prescribe an anticoagulant or blood thinner to prevent clots from forming or prevent a clot from getting bigger. You will need to take this medication by injection for a short time after surgery. Activities after surgery Slowly resume your normal activities. Moving and walking helps you to recover, prevents problems after surgery and promotes weight loss. Walking also helps your blood circulation, bowel function and breathing to get back to normal. It will be helpful if your family members and friends assist you with carrying and lifting objects while you are in the hospital and also when you get home. Do not lift anything heavier than 4 kilograms (10 pounds) for the next two weeks. You will feel some discomfort when you cough or sneeze. Hold a pillow against your abdomen to help reduce the pain when coughing. Do not do any strenuous exercise for 4-6 weeks until your doctor or nurse says it is safe to do so. Walking balanced with rest periods should be fine. Wound care Dressings with a strip of tape (steri-strip) will be placed over your incisions. The nurse will change your dressings before you go home. Keep the incisions clean and dry. You may shower 48 hours after surgery (you may have a tub bath after one week). Use mild soap and water over the incisions and pat dry. The steristrip will fall off in about 5-7 days. If they do not fall off you should remove them. Check your incision daily for signs of infection such as redness, swelling or drainage of pus. Notify the doctor if you notice any redness or drainage at the site or if the incision opens up. If you have staples or sutures to keep your incision closed, your doctor will remove them during your follow-up appointment or your family doctor will remove them. Your incision scars may be red, dark pink or purple. These may or may not fade over the next year. It depends on your skin type. Protect your skin from the sun by using a sun block. Page 3

4 Return to work or school Speak with your doctor about when you can return to work. The usual time off is 4 weeks. When you return to work depends on what you do and how you feel. Sexual Activity You can be sexually active again when you feel well enough. It is very important that you do not get pregnant for about one year to 18 months after your surgery. Talk to your doctor about the best way to prevent pregnancy. Call the Bariatric Clinic or your Surgeon or Go to the nearest Emergency room if any of the following occurs: There is redness, swelling, bleeding and/or drainage of pus from the incision sites Increased pain not relieved by your medication Problems breathing or chest pain Increased pain in your legs or feet You have a fever greater than 38 C/100 F and you are having chills Ongoing nausea and vomiting Severe bloating If you are seen in the emergency room, please tell the staff that you have had recent gastric bypass surgery. Page 4

5 Follow-up Visit after Surgery If you are from out of town, you will follow up at the bariatric clinic there. Please call to set up your post-operative appointments following the instructions that you were given. You will follow up with these members of the Bariatric Clinic Team: Doctors, Nurses, Dieticians, and Social Workers. It is important to attend these appointments even if you are feeling well. Your team will help you prevent problems such as nutritional deficiencies after surgery. Please bring your blue hospital card and health card with you to all appointments. You may also call or see your surgeon at any time if you have concerns. Contact Information: Surgeons Dr. Mary-Anne Aarts MICHAEL GARRON HOSPITAL 650 Sammon Avenue Suite K401 Toronto ON M4C 5M5 (416) Dr. Jamie Cyriac: MICHAEL GARRON HOSPITAL 650 Sammon Avenue Suite K406 Toronto ON M4C 5M5 (416) In-Patient Unit A5 Surgical Unit: (416) ext Page 5

6 Other: You may want to consider getting a Medic Alert bracelet after surgery. Special Instructions Additional Resources: This information is used for information purpose only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. Developed by: Sherle McGhie, Linda Nusdorfer Revised by: Chris Saby MGH F-435 (October 2017) Page 6