Diet and exercise in patients after gastric surgery

The article is written by MSc Nguyen Ngoc Khanh - Head of Department of Gastroenterology - Urology - Robotic Surgery & Pediatric Surgery, and MSc Nguyen Hung Cuong - Gastroenterologist, Vinmec Times International General Hospital City

Eating and drinking and engaging in physical activity are important after gastric bypass surgery. A reasonable diet and exercise will help patients recover faster and reduce the risk of complications after surgery.
Diet, exercise in patients will be different depending on the stage after surgery. As follows:

1.1 Diet and exercise The patient can eat and drink water in small amounts about 6 hours after surgery. The following days can drink nutritional solutions. By day 5, the patient can eat soft foods again.
Another goal to achieve is that the patient must sit up and get out of bed to exercise at least 6 hours a day. It is recommended to allocate 6 hours throughout the day and rest in bed between exercises.
The patient will be encouraged to walk in the hallway several times a day
Eating and participating in physical activities are very important after gastric bypass surgery. It helps patients recover faster and reduces the risk of complications. To evaluate the patient's progress and help the patient recover as best as possible, doctors will keep a diary of the patient's physical activity and diet and drink. If necessary, the patient can also consult with a dietitian about nutrition before discharge from the hospital.
1.2 Pain Management The patient does not need to endure pain. Pain relief is very important, it helps patients quickly return to normal activities. In other words, you can sit up and walk around in the residential area, moving without pain.
For the first 48 hours, the patient will continue to receive epidural analgesia as well as an oral pain reliever (Paracetamol). Following removal of the epidural analgesia, the patient is supplemented with a stronger oral analgesic. If, after taking these additional pain relievers, you still have pain, talk to your nurse to get more medication as needed.

When the body functions return to normal such as defecation, defecation, eating normally, the patient will be discharged. Most people can be discharged from the hospital 5 days after gastric bypass surgery and are prescribed pain relievers to take at home.
The patient was also prescribed Lovenox, which is a blood thinner, which is used to reduce the risk of blood clots. Lovenox should be injected for 7 days including the day of surgery. As a result, the patient or caregiver will be given instructions on how to give the injection.

3.1 Diet One of the most important things in patients after gastric bypass surgery is that you cannot eat much at a time, so doctors recommend patients to eat many meals (more than 6 meals) a day , and should eat soft foods along with drinking energy-rich solutions. The supplementation of vitamins, especially vitamin B12 is very important, the nutritionists at the hospital will prescribe and instruct specifically for the patient even after going home.
3.2 Pain medication The patient may need to take pain medication when returning home. Pain should not be tolerated as this will interfere with the patient's daily activities.
3.3 Physical activity To continue the recovery process, the patient should continue to be active at home, eg walking. Patients may experience more fatigue – lasting several weeks after surgery. Avoid lifting heavy objects for about 3 months after surgery
3.4 Bathing and caring for surgical wounds Patient can shower normally. Surgical bandages and dressings can be purchased at the pharmacy. In most cases, the sutures, clips, or staples used to keep the wound closed are removed about 10 days after surgery. Information on removal of sutures, clips or staples will be exchanged upon patient discharge.
Patients should not take a bath or swim while sutures, clips or staples have not been removed.
3.5 Complications and Other Problems When you go home, you may have diarrhea, a burning sensation in your abdomen, or dizziness. This usually happens after eating and goes away within 1 hour or so. If you experience severe pain, fever, nausea, vomiting, or any other unusual problems, you should contact your doctor immediately.

Gastric surgery at Vinmec Times City International General Hospital is performed by a team of well-trained and experienced medical doctors, with the support of a system of modern equipment to minimize the risk of gastric bypass surgery. complications after surgery, bringing health and peace of mind to the patient.
Especially, from October 2019, in order to improve treatment quality, improve service access as well as patient experience, Vinmec Times City International General Hospital put into operation the model. Gastrointestinal Service Line (Gastrointestinal Service Line). This is a model that has been applied in many prestigious medical centers around the world.
Patients who visit and receive treatment according to the Gastrointestinal Service Line model will enjoy the following benefits:
Consult and agree on a comprehensive treatment plan from a team of doctors from many specialties, instead of just having a doctor. a primary care physician or a treatment specialist as usual; The development of an optimal treatment regimen helps patients avoid having to test different treatment methods, which is costly, time consuming and affects the overall treatment effectiveness; Patients can better manage costs thanks to a one-time payment. For detailed advice on the Gastrointestinal Service Line model at Vinmec Times City, please contact HOTLINE 0243 9743 556 or book online HERE.