About Bariatric Surgery

Below are some typical questions and answers that patients have regarding bariatric surgery. If you have additional questions, contact ABMI. Our team will be happy to answer them.

Is bariatric surgery covered by insurance?

How rapid is the weight loss?

How will my body know when to stop losing weight?

Will I experience a plateau in my weight loss?

Why is exercise so important after surgery?

How do I decide which surgery is right for me?

What is bariatric surgery like?

What happens to the bypassed stomach?

What happens next regarding recovery and support?

Why do I have to attend support group meetings before and after surgery?

Can I drink alcohol or smoke after surgery?

Can I drink coffee and soft drinks for my fluid requirements?

Is there anything I can do to prevent hanging skin after weight loss?

Will I take vitamins for the rest of my life?

Will I lose hair after surgery?

What is Dumping Syndrome?



Is bariatric surgery covered by insurance?

Many health insurance companies pay for some or all of the costs for bariatric surgery. It is important that you understand what is covered under your own contract. ABMI will take you through the process of reimbursement and help you answer the questions required to ensure the best possible outcome for insurance approval and maximum reimbursement. If insurance is not an option, ABMI has other financial alternatives for you to examine.

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How rapid is the weight loss?

Weight loss is the greatest in the first three months after surgery. During that time, you may lose at least 20% of your excess body weight. As you get closer to your weight loss goal, the loss will slow to about one to three pounds per week, depending on the individual. Following “pouch rules” with frequent exercise and increased activity will also enhance your weight loss. ABMI offers advice and support post-surgery as part of our comprehensive weight loss program.

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How will my body know when to stop losing weight?

Two things happen that allow your weight to stabilize to a more natural weight. First, the calories you need decrease as you shed excess pounds. Secondly, there is a progressive increase in calorie and nutrient intake over the months following the surgery. This is because the stomach pouch and the attached small intestine learn to work together over time.

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Will I experience a plateau in my weight loss?

It’s very likely. Plateaus are part of any weight loss program, whether it’s surgical or non-surgical. They usually last only a few weeks. During this time, many patients change their focus to inches lost rather than pounds lost. Others change their exercise routing slightly. Your ABMI team will help you through these temporary transitions until you meet your weight loss goal.

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Why is exercise so important after surgery?

Exercise maximizes weight loss and promotes a healthy body and healthy living. It’s a lifestyle choice that has endless benefits. You not only need good nutrition, you also need regular recreation and leisure activity. Here are some other reasons why physical activity is so important:

• Exercise increases your metabolic rate (the rate at which you burn calories).
• Exercise burns fat.
• Exercise can make you less hungry.
• Exercise improves your mood by secreting endorphins.
• Exercise increases muscle mass, allowing you to burn fat more efficiently, even when you’re sleeping
• Exercise can improve sexual desire and activity

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How do I decide which surgery is right for me?

Your surgeon will discuss the prospective risks and rewards of each procedure. In some cases, your surgeon may feel strongly that one type of surgery is best suited to your situation. Together, you will decide the best procedure for your weight loss goals.

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What is bariatric surgery like?

Bariatric surgery takes from one to three hours depending on the procedure. You’ll be under anesthesia and will feel no discomfort. Once you’re in recovery, any pain you experience will be immediately addressed. After leaving recovery, your hospital stay may last from one to three days depending on your procedure and how you’re feeling.

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What happens to the bypassed stomach?

It remains attached to the neighboring organs, but it is bypassed by the food stream. Acid and fluid secretions from the bypassed stomach, combined with the bile and pancreatic digestive enzymes secreted into the duodenum, rejoin the food stream so that digestion and absorption occur.

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What happens next regarding recovery and support?

You’ve taken the first step in undergoing bariatric surgery. Now your part begins. Behavioral changes are essential to your success after surgery. It requires consistent effort on your part and ongoing support on ours.

Your recovery and rehabilitation continue at home. You and your surgeon will decide when you can return to work. You’ll also work on a plan that provides the steps you’ll need to take to ensure safe, maximum weight loss. You’ll continue to meet with your surgeon post-op to monitor progress and make sure you understand the changes you’re making in your daily life. ABMI also offers support group meetings so that you have an intimate forum to discuss any issue you may be experiencing.

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Why do I have to attend support group meetings before and after surgery?

Support group meetings are important to your sustained success before and after bariatric surgery. They are an invaluable resource for anyone wanting to know more about life after surgery. They also offer you the opportunity to gain support from other patients around your own issues. We also advise you to bring family and friends to these meetings so they can ask questions and gain a better understanding of your experience. Most importantly, weight loss surgery does not resolve emotional issues that existed before surgery. Support groups offer you an outlet for communicating and addressing your emotional needs.

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Can I drink alcohol or smoke after surgery?

We strongly recommend that you don’t drink concentrated alcohol. If you choose to drink, be aware you will feel its effects much more quickly.

Smoking can reduce your rate of healing, lead to increased infections, and interfere with the blood supply to the healing tissues. For these and many other reasons, you will have to quit smoking before surgery. We will not operate on a patient unless they have stopped smoking 4 weeks prior to surgery. There are many good methods to help you stop smoking. Talk to your surgeon about what might be best for you.

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Can I drink coffee and soft drinks for my fluid requirements?

We discourage the use of caffeinated drinks as a substitute for water as they only dehydrate your body, act as a diuretic, and stimulate your appetite. You should also avoid carbonated beverages during the first four weeks after surgery. Instead, drink sugar-free decaffeinated soft drinks sweetened with Splenda® that have been opened and allowed to go “flat”.

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Is there anything I can do to prevent hanging skin after weight loss?

Many people have stretched their skin beyond the point from which it can come back from extreme weight loss and choose to have plastic surgery to remove loose or excess skin. Many choose to have a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) which removes the abdominal apron or extra skin and fat that makes up the apron that drapes over the pubic area. Some insurance carriers pay for this type of procedure since the extra skin and fat can cause complications. The team at ABMI can assist in determining your best options.

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Will I take vitamins for the rest of my life?

Yes. Some nutrients may not be absorbed as well as they were before surgery because part of the small intestine has been bypassed. Vitamin B-12, calcium and iron are of the greatest concern. The good news is that vitamin and mineral supplements are usually effective at compensating for this change in absorption.

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Will I lose hair after surgery?

It’s true that some patients experience some hair loss or thinning after surgery between the fourth and eighth month following surgery. Be sure you have a consistent intake of protein and daily zinc supplements as well as a good volume of fluid intakes. Most patients experience natural regrowth after this initial period of loss has occurred.

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What is Dumping Syndrome?

Dumping occurs after eating or drinking foods that contain pure or refined sugars such as soda and candy sweetened with sugar. As these foods enter the intestine, they are absorbed to quickly and may cause any combination of flushing, sweating, palpitations, abdominal pain and diarrhea. The severity of the symptoms varies with the amount of sugar or fatty foods consumed. Once you’ve experienced it, you’ll have a much better idea of what foods are triggers for you.

The dumping reaction is not life threatening but in some cases, it can be serious. So, most patients learn to stay away from refined sugars and use fructose sugars instead. Fructose is the sugar in fresh fruit, and it rarely causes the dumping reaction. You can also use artificial sweeteners.

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