In Hospital

Gastric Band

In Hospital Following Gastric Banding

• Liquid Intake: patients usually commence taking liquids orally within 4-6 hours of a Gastric Banding procedure
• Discharge from Hospital: normally the day after your Gastric Banding procedure
• Initial Dietary Advice: You will be guided through this early phase of your diet by Dr Hatzifotis and your dietitian while in hospital

After Gastric Band Surgery

Patients who have undergone laparoscopic Gastric Banding Procedure recover reasonably quickly. The benefit of laparoscopic surgery is that you have less pain and need for pain relief, you have fewer respiratory problems, and you can return to your usual daily activities and work quickly.

• Liquid Intake: 
• Pain Relief:
• Activities: 
• Return to Work: Most patients return to work within 1-2 weeks.
• First Postoperative Review: You will be seen by Dr Hatzifotis 3 weeks after your surgery. At this visit Dr Hatzifotis will discuss your progress following your procedure and answer any questions or concerns you may have. He will check all of your incisions and check your weight.
• Second Postoperative Reviews: You will be seen again 6 weeks following your procedure. At this visit, Dr Hatzifotis will perform your first Gastric Band adjustment.
• Subsequent Postoperative Reviews: You will then be seen by Dr Hatzifotis every 4-6weeks until you have reached your goal weight. Most patients require 4-5 adjustments until the amount of fluid in their Gastric Band is just right for them. It is important that you attend these post operative appointments as the success of your procedure depends on the quality and frequency of your adjustments and aftercare.
• Visits After Goal Weight Achieved: Once you have reached your goal weight your appointment will be less frequent. They will be every 3 months for the first year, then every 6-12 months after that. If you have any problems at all during this time, or at any time following your procedure, you should contact the office of Dr Hatzifotis and arrange an earlier appointment.

All of your post operative visits and Gastric Band adjustments will be bulk billed. You will not be charged any out of pocket expenses for these consultations. Similarly, if you have any problems with your Gastric Band and require any further surgery, you will not be charged for this by Dr Hatzifotis.

Gastric Sleeve

In Hospital Following Sleeve Gastrectomy

• Liquid Intake: Patients are not permitted to take any liquids or solids for 48hrs after their procedure. Any overeating during this time may increase the risk of a leak from the gastric sleeve.
• Tests: During this early recovery phase a swallow test is performed to check the anatomy of the new gastric sleeve and check for any leaks. If this looks good, then patients are commenced on a clear fluid diet.
• Discharge from Hospital: normally stay four day after your Gastric Sleeve procedure. During this early recovery period, the new gastric sleeve is treated cautiously
• Initial Dietary Advice: You will be guided through this early phase of your diet by Dr Hatzifotis and your dietitian while in hospital

After Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery

Patients who have undergone laparoscopic Gastric Sleeve Procedure (Sleeve Gastrectomy) recover reasonably quickly.

• Liquid Intake: After the initial Nil By Mouth period, patients are instructed to drink 50-60mls of liquid per hour for the first week after their Sleeve Gastrectomy procedure. Initially, the gastric sleeve capacity will only be approximately 50-60mls. Over the next one to two weeks patients will find that they will be able to take a little more fluid every hour. By the end of the second week following Sleeve Gastrectomy, patients will be able to take between 100-150mls of liquid per hour.
• Pain Relief: By the time you have returned home, most patients require very little if any pain relief medications.
• Activities: Patients can walk freely and perform most basic daily activities.
• Medications: You will be commenced on a new medication called Nexium for four weeks following your procedure. This will help with reducing the acid in your stomach, prevent reflux, and help with healing of your gastric sleeve.
• Return to Work: Most patients return to work 2 weeks after their surgery.
• Driving: Most patients are able to drive seven days after their procedure providing they are not taking any pain relieving medications, and providing they are able to push on the car brake in a hurry if they have to.
• First Postoperative Review: You will be seen by Dr Hatzifotis 3-4 weeks following your procedure. At this visit, Dr Hatzifotis will discuss your progress following your procedure and answer any questions or concerns you may have. He will check all of your incisions and check your weight.
• Subsequent Postoperative Reviews: Following this visit, you will be seen by Dr Hatzifotis every 3 months until you have reached your goal weight, then yearly after this.

Diet Plan After Following Your Surgery

Immediately following your weight loss procedure, Dr Hatzifotis and your dietitian will instruct you to modify your diet for the first 4 weeks.

• You will be asked to adhere to a liquid diet for the first 2 weeks following your procedure.
• Your dietitian will provide you with written instructions about this phase of your post-operative diet.
• Following this 2-week liquid diet phase, your diet will be upgraded to puree food.
• Once again your dietitian will guide you through this phase and provide you with written instructions about this phase of your diet.
• Usually, 4 weeks after your weight loss procedure you will be instructed to upgrade onto solid foods.

By this stage you are becoming familiar with your new eating patterns and behaviours and the new feelings and signals from your stomach.

• You will notice you can only eat 1/4 or 1/3 of what you used to eat, and you will feel full after eating less food.
• You will have less hunger between meals, and you will be satisfied for longer after a meal.
• Your dietitian will guide you through this final phase of your diet and provide you with useful information regarding eating slowly, chewing your food well, controlling your food portions, and maintaining a well balanced healthy, low fat, low sugar diet.

By this phase of your diet, we aim to have you eating solid, nutritious food, but less of it.

Helpful Dietary Tips Following Surgery

Here are some of the dietary modifications necessary to maintain weight loss:

• Plan three well-balanced meals a day and avoid eating snacks between meals
• Eat solid foods that fill your stomach and relieve hunger
• Eat small portions at a time
• Avoid fatty and high calorie foods
• Fibrous foods are recommended after surgery to avoid constipation
• Drink plenty of water
• Eat food slowly, a meal should last for 20-30 minutes
• Stop eating when you feel your stomach is full

Physical Activity And Exercise Following Surgery

Some form of physical activity or exercise will make a significant difference to the success of your weight loss journey. This does not have to be over strenuous initially.

It may be as simple as walking 2-3 times per week for 30 minutes. The more physical activity or exercise you perform following your surgery, the more calories you will burn, and therefore the more weight you will lose.

The type of activity or exercise you perform may vary. It may include activities such as:

You will not be restricted in any physical activity following you weight loss procedure, regardless of which one you have chosen.