Written By: Emma Squillace
When someone is considering bariatric surgery like a gastric sleeve, that is a significant life decision. Many people lose a substantial amount of weight after weight loss surgery, and make permanent lifestyle changes. Our patients often find that they feel better than they have in years – or decades – and have the energy to participate in life in ways they have not before. On the other hand, it is important to understand that there are challenges. You’ll be having surgery, which includes a preparation phase as well as a recovery. You’ll also need to learn new ways of interacting with food, meal planning, and how to overcome barriers you might encounter. The first step in this journey with us is a weight loss seminar. Here we’ll give you an idea of the type of information you can learn in our seminars:
Types of bariatric surgery
Do you know which kind of weight loss surgery removes a piece of your stomach, and which one reroutes part of your intestines? We’ll cover not only the basics of how each operation works, but also what type of anesthesia you’ll have, how long the surgeries will take, and what your incisions will look like. Our team uses advanced laparoscopic techniques, so we’ll show you what this means and what benefits this type of minimally invasive surgery can have for you.
How bariatric surgeries work
Why exactly does weight loss surgery help you shed pounds? We will cover the variety of ways these operations work, from the restrictive properties to the malabsorptive ones. We’ll also talk about the hormonal effects these surgeries can have on your body, and how they work in the short term, vs how these operations can continue to work in the longer term.
What to expect before surgery
Before your bariatric surgery there are some steps you need to take, and we will go through these in detail. Some steps include potential blood tests or requirements that your insurance company may have. Other steps include learning about the pre-operative diet that we’ll ask you to follow to ensure the safest and most successful surgery.
What to expect the day of surgery
After we talk about what your ‘before surgery’ time will be like, we’ll cover a little bit about what to expect the day of surgery. We’ll also talk about what you can expect the first few days of the recovery process, if you’ll have stitches, what your scars may look like, and what you can expect to be eating right after the operation.
Longer Term Recovery
We’ll discuss what life is like as you’re recovering from your operation and starting to adjust to a new way of eating. After weight loss surgery you will slowly acclimate back to eating solid foods, and we will explain to you what you can expect during that time period.
Getting to Know Us
Choosing to have bariatric surgery is not just about learning the facts. It also is so important that you get to meet the team that will be supporting you through your entire journey. At our weight loss seminar, you’ll have a chance to get to know us and make sure you feel comfortable with us as people – as well as weight loss experts.
If you’re wondering whether bariatric surgery is a good option for you, attending a weight loss seminar is a great place to start. These sessions are free of charge and will educate you on your choices. If you are interested in attending a weight loss seminar, please reach out to us at 855-690-0565.