Recovery from gastric bypass surgery
Most people recover in the hospital for one or two days after gastric bypass surgery and don’t need special care when they go home. You should not drive until you stop taking medications associated with surgery and can move quickly. You may return to work within one to two weeks of surgery, in many cases. If you have a physically demanding job, it may take up to six weeks before you can work.
You’ll have follow-up visits with your bariatric surgery team a few days after surgery, then again after six weeks, three months, six months, and every year after that. We encourage you to work with our registered dietitians as often as you need and attend support groups with other bariatric surgery patients to stay motivated.
Follow-up care is a key component to your ongoing successful weight loss and maintenance. At Penn Medicine, bariatric patients have access to bariatric patient support and resources including support groups, social services, nutrition counseling, and exercise planning. We are here for you for the rest of your life.
After gastric bypass, you’ll need to continue with the changes you made to your diet and lifestyle as part of our pre-surgery program. Our dietitians and team will continue to guide you through these changes and help you stay on track with your weight loss.
Shortly after surgery, you’ll begin a phased approach to eating. You’ll start consuming a clear liquid diet within 24 hours of your surgery, then move to a full liquid diet, a soft food diet, and then a more regular diet in the weeks ahead. You’ll need to take vitamin supplements for the rest of your life after gastric bypass. They help prevent vitamin deficiencies that occur from changes in your diet.
You’ll also learn to avoid certain foods to prevent dumping syndrome. Dumping can happen after gastric bypass surgery when you eat foods high in fat or sugar. It causes symptoms including:
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Nausea
- Racing pulse
- Vomiting