Do I need to diet before weight loss surgery? 5 Myths About Weight Loss Surgery Debunked

Morbid obesity is often treated with weight loss surgery. Taking the statistics from the United States as an example, the 30 days after weight loss surgery is the period when surgical complications are most likely to occur, with the ratio being approximately between 2-4%. If the complication ratio can be reduced to below 1%, it can be considered a very good surgical result.

The main purpose of weight loss surgery is not to have a slim body, but to make the body healthier through surgery.

Since April 2016, E-Da Hospital's International Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Center has been the first to introduce the bariatric surgery team care model from advanced European and American countries. It adopts a medical team division of labor and cooperation model, and pays special attention to complete pre-operative evaluation, minimally invasive surgical techniques, and post-operative pain relief, greatly reducing the risk of complications after bariatric surgery.

Assess your physical and mental condition before weight loss surgery

Director Tsai Ming-hsien of the Department of Surgery at E-Da Hospital pointed out that the main purpose of weight loss surgery is not to have a slim figure, but to make the body healthier through surgery. At the same time, the appropriate surgery should be selected based on many factors such as the patient's physical and mental condition and living and eating habits. Choosing excellent doctors and teams is the key to success. More than 95% of patients who undergo weight loss surgery at the E-Da Hospital Center can be discharged safely within 48 hours after the surgery.

Minister Tsai Ming-hsien (left) uses minimally invasive surgery to help patients (center) successfully lose weight and reduce the risk of postoperative complications. (Photo provided by E-Da Hospital)

Minimally invasive weight loss surgery reduces risk of complications

Minister Tsai Ming-hsien shared a case and said that at the beginning of this year, the E-DA weight loss team successfully used minimally invasive surgery to treat a 57-year-old freight driver who had undergone gastric bypass surgery 10 years ago. Although he successfully lost weight after the first surgery, he began to experience upper abdominal pain after eating and severe vomiting a few years later.

After examination by the doctor who originally performed the surgery on him, it was determined that the intestinal obstruction was caused by intestinal adhesions, so he underwent a second surgery more than a year ago to remove the intestinal adhesions. Unexpectedly, at the beginning of this year, he suffered from the same abdominal pain and vomiting symptoms again, and the symptoms were even more severe than before, making the patient miserable.

Afterwards, the patient underwent a third operation, during which it was discovered that the originally adhered intestines had become adhered again and twisted 90 degrees, causing intestinal peristalsis to become disrupted and leading to intestinal obstruction. During this operation, the medical team carefully removed the adhesions using minimally invasive surgery and reconnected the twisted intestines. Finally, they placed biological agents that have the function of reducing adhesions and promoting intestinal wound repair.

After the operation, the patient recovered well and was discharged from the hospital and returned to work in less than a week. There has been no recurrence of intestinal obstruction in the follow-up for more than 8 months.

Before undergoing bariatric surgery, you should assess your physical and mental condition and dispel post-operative myths.

Minister Tsai Ming-hsien emphasized that some patients are worried about complications related to surgery and are therefore often hesitant. Even if their weight has caused them to suffer from a variety of diseases or has a very poor quality of life, they still cannot make up their minds to undergo surgery.

5 Myths About Bariatric Surgery

Myth 1. How long will it take before I can return to work after surgery?

• The length of hospital stay after surgery is generally about 2 to 3 days. Since you need to pay attention to water intake, adjust your diet and protein intake in the first 3 weeks after surgery, it is generally not recommended to work during this period. Once your diet and daily routine return to normal, you can return to work.

Myth 2. Can I exercise after surgery? When can I exercise?

• It is recommended to resume activities on the first day after surgery, starting with simple walking and then gradually increasing the amount of activity. You can resume high-intensity exercise about 1 to 2 months after surgery.

Myth 3. Are the risks of weight loss surgery higher if you have diabetes?

• Diabetes does increase the risk of surgery, but after appropriate weight loss surgery, most obese patients' diabetes will improve to some extent.

Myth 4. Can I get pregnant after weight loss surgery?

• Bariatric surgery is thought to improve obesity-related infertility problems in some women. Women who have fertility problems due to obesity may begin to ovulate regularly several years after bariatric surgery. However, women should avoid pregnancy within 18 months after surgery.

Myth 5. Do I need to diet before weight loss surgery?

• Yes. Patients are advised to start a diet (liquid diet and limit calorie intake to 800 calories per day) 2-3 weeks before surgery. This is due to a reduction in liver volume and abdominal fat accumulation. This aids safety during the procedure.

In short, weight loss surgery has become very safe due to the advancement of minimally invasive technology, and the recovery is extremely fast. Usually, you can return to work and live a normal life after 1 week. The mortality rate caused by surgery is less than 0.1% in the hands of experienced doctors and teams. This is even lower than the mortality rate of appendicitis surgery, so obese people can rest assured.