What is Bariatric Surgery? 5 Things to Know and Tips for Success

Metabolic and weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, is surgery that helps patients with obesity live longer and often helps treat obesity-related health problems while also improving quality of life.

The decision to have bariatric surgery involves careful thought and open between you, your loved ones, and your surgeon.  

Who is a good candidate for weight loss surgery?

There are many factors that determine whether a person would make a good candidate for bariatric surgery. In general, bariatric surgery is beneficial  for people with a BMI of 35 or greater. Many medical societies also recommend that people with a BMI between 30-35 with obesity-related medical conditions (also called co-morbidities),  be considered for surgery.

What are the different types of weight loss surgery?

Bariatric procedures alter your digestive system to help you lose weight. The most common procedures include gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy. Both surgeries affect circulating GI hormones levels and other biologic signals that regulate weight.

Your surgeon will work with you to determine your specific health needs and discuss with you the pros and cons of each  option.

How much weight can you lose with weight loss surgery?

On average, patients lose 30% of their total body weight after gastric bypass, and 25% of their total body weight after sleeve gastrectomy. 

For comparison, the average weight loss on high-dose GLP1 therapy is roughly 15-20% of total body weight. All weight loss strategies have pros and cons, and no single approach should be applied to all patients.

Regardless of weight loss strategy, long-term success is depends on a combination of diet and regular daily exercise.

What are the risks and complications of weight loss surgery?

All medical interventions have risks. Bariatric surgery has a equivalent or even slightly lower risk than other elective surgeries, such as joint replacement or gallbladder surgery. The most common complications after bariatric surgery are nausea, vomiting, dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.

Your care team will discuss all potential outcomes with you so you have the knowledge needed to make a confident, informed decision about your body.

How long does recovery take after weight loss surgery?

Patients typically spend one to two nights in the hospital (including the night after surgery). Patients are often able to return to work around two weeks after surgery if they are able to stay hydrated at work and avoid heavy lifting.  

Top 5 weight loss surgery tips

Here are five tips weight loss experts offer for weight loss success:

1. Understand the nature of obesity and the purpose of metabolic and bariatric surgery.

Metabolic and Bariatric surgery is very effective in helping patients with obesity lose weight and live longer. Most patients report improved quality of life after surgery. It is also a very effective for many obesity-related comorbid conditions, including diabetes, fatty liver, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, poly-cystic ovarian syndrome, osteoarthritis, and others. It is not a cosmetic operation and is not designed to help patients achieve any certain body “look”.  

Obesity is best understood as a chronic disease that alters a patient’s metabolism, and is much more complex than just “calories in and calories out”. While diet and exercise are very important, alone they do not usually lead to sustain long-term weight loss greater than 5-10% of total body weight for most patients. To achieve long-term, sustained significant weight loss, most patients require either surgical or medical intervention combined with diet and exercise.

2. Focus on healthy eating.  

Healthy eating is a crucial part of your weight loss journey and planning is central to success. Before you go to the grocery store, make a list of a few healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas that you can rotate throughout the week. The key to the post-weight loss surgery diet is variety and moderation.

After you go grocery shopping, portion out protein and vegetables and batch cook staple foods like an egg and veggie casserole or grilled chicken and roasted vegetables. Planning ahead will make healthy eating during the week less stressful and will set you up for success in meeting your protein and weight loss goals.

3. Exercise daily. 

Physical activity is important for weight and heart health, and it also improves our mood and outlook on life. If you cannot exercise for long periods of time, it is just as beneficial to do 10-15 minutes of activity two to three times a day.

Start by walking and taking the stairs and, as you get stronger, incorporate more moderate physical activities that you enjoy such as biking, weightlifting and yoga. If you have a hard time fitting exercise into your day, block out time for it on your calendar and treat it like any other appointment. Your health should be one of your top priorities.

4. Find support after surgery in friends, family, peers, and your medical team. 

Social support plays a major role in your weight loss journey and it is important for to have a support system to understand the lifestyle changes that you will be encountering before and after surgery. We recommend patients join patient support groups after surgery to learn from each other and find community in their weight loss journeys.  

Weight loss (regardless of method) is not easy and that is why your medical team is here to help you. Have you seen people running in a marathon? They appear to run alone to the finish line, but actually each marathoner is running with other marathoners (other patients with weight loss goals) and also coached by trainers (your medical team members.) The medical care team essentially runs the weight loss marathon with you.

5. Understand the journey. 

Understanding the journey is very important to your success. You need to have a basic understanding about the surgery, including its indication, technical aspects, possible complications and effects. If you know the details of the surgery, your outcome should be significantly improved, and you should cope better during the recovery phase. Also understand that diet and exercise will continue to be important parts of safe and healthy weight loss after surgery.

You are an active participant in your own post-operative care and are also helping your surgeon to better care for you. If you don't understand the details of the weight loss surgery, ask your surgeon.

Is Weight Loss Surgery Right for You? Learn about your options.