You will be required to have follow-up visits periodically to assess your weight loss, ability to tolerate food and need to perform adjustments of your band. The usual required visits after surgery will be at one week post operative, monthly for the first three months and then every three months for the first two years.  We will then see you annually.

 

We have a Surgery Support Group that meets once a month. We encourage you to attend. It is a self-help group of patients, monitored by our staff, for those who have been through gastric band surgery and is dedicated to the support and encouragement of current and potential patients and also their families and friends.

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Diet After Surgery 

After your surgery, you will need a new diet. Right after the operation, you can have sips of water or suck on an ice cubes. The day after the operation, you can take a little more fluid. But you should take only a small amount at a time. Besides water, you should also choose liquids that have an adequate number of calories. To prevent nausea and vomiting, do not drink too much.

During the first one to four weeks only drinks and very soft foods are recommended:

• clear broth or soup (with no vegetables or meat and not creamy)
• low-fat yogurt
• milk (preferably skim)
• jello
• fruit juice or pureed soft fruit.

As time goes on, you will slowly move to solid food based on your surgeon's and/or dietitian's advice.

When you can eat solid foods without problems after the initial four to six weeks, you will need to pay attention to your diet. Here are 10 rules for eating, drinking, and exercise that will help you get the best results possible with the gastric band. How willing you are to follow a new way of eating is key to making the operation a success.

10 Rules for Eating, Drinking, and Exercise

• Eat only three small meals a day.
• Eat slowly and chew thoroughly (approximately 15 to 20 times a bite).
• Stop eating as soon as you feel full.
• Do not drink while you are eating.
• Do not eat between meals.
• Eat only fresh food.
• Avoid fibrous food.
• Drink enough fluids during the day.
• Drink only low-calorie liquids.
• Exercise at least 30 minutes a day.

Tips For Dining Out

• Order an appetizer instead of an entire entrée.
• Ask if you can order off the children’s menu.
• Share an entrée with a friend and divide it into two plates.
• Ask for a smaller spoon if you’ve been given a large one.
• Inform the wait staff of your slower eating pace, so that they don’t rush you.
• Ask the wait staff to remove your water glass from the table.
• Remove the bun or bread off of a sandwich; bread tends to cause problems.
• Let your companions do the talking while you do the chewing.
• Set your plate aside while you are eating during the meal.
• Set your fork down between each bite to help you control your pace.
  

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  Exercise

We recommend NOT to do any exercise on the first month other than light walking.
After the first month, exercising at least 0 minutes a day is just as important as following the nutrition advices. Since physical exercise consumes energy and burns calories, it is essential to successful weight loss.
Exercise can help improve your general health. Your size may make it hard for you to exercise as much as you should. But get started, even if it is a little at first. The more weight you lose, the easier it should get. Start with simple exercises, such as walking and swimming. Gradually expand your program to include more vigorous forms of exercise such as cycling, jogging, and aerobics.
Increase your activity level in the course of daily living. For example: stand rather than sit, walk rather than stand, be outside rather than inside, walk rather than drive, climb the stairs rather than use the elevator, etc.