What to expect after weight loss surgery isn’t always a clear subject to many people who are considering these procedures.  The advantages and drawbacks regularly make their way into news headlines.  This is particularly true if a celebrity has undergone the process.  However, what is not often discussed is what life will look like upon returning home.

Knowing what you will need to do after weight loss surgery, how you’ll need to alter your lifestyle, and the short- and long-term benefits that make those efforts worthwhile are critical to your success.  These can be highly beneficial for motivating you to stick to the list of recommendations and instructions provided by the doctor.

Life After Weight Loss Surgery

For those who serve as good candidates for it, turning to weight loss surgery can really be a true lifesaver. There are several types of surgeries within this category, but the most popular by far is gastric bypass.

Gastric bypass is often a recommended choice when more traditional interventions involving diet and exercise have not worked or when the patient is at imminent serious health risks due to the excessive levels of body fat.

While some versions of this procedure are conducted with large open incisions in the abdomen, in many cases, it can be conducted laparoscopically, which is far less invasive and involves a smaller incision. The surgeon cuts into the top portion of the stomach and seals it off from the rest of the stomach, leaving a stomach for the patient that is much smaller – about the size of a walnut compared to the typical 3 pint size.  It takes a few hours for this procedure to be completed.

After weight loss surgery the patient is initially on a liquid-only diet. No solid foods are allowed as the stomach requires the opportunity to heal. Eventually, upon the doctor’s recommendation after follow-up appointments, the liquid diet will progress to pureed foods.  Eventually soft foods will be worked into the mix. More solid foods will be allowed only in time as the body starts to tolerate them.

As you can see, life after weight loss surgery doesn’t just mean you’re suddenly slim, and you can eat anything you want. It can be far stricter than any diet followed before.  However, it can be life saving and research shows it can also help with weight loss success to improve longevity in general.

Why Do These Procedures Impact Longevity?

If you are morbidly obese and have a tough time losing the weight on your own, then turning to this surgery may help you to achieve better health and even live longer. It may sound too good to be true, but recent studies are showing that such surgeries are adding more years to an individual’s lifespan. There are a variety of reasons that this may be, but in the end, it makes this type of procedure a really important one for the individual who wants to live again.

By taking a look at what happens to an individual who undergoes weight loss surgery, you can get an inclination of why it helps to reduce their mortality. First and foremost, carrying around the excess weight is very taxing on the body. It creates strain not just on the joints and exterior body, but it also puts extra strain on the lungs, the heart, and other vital organs. So, when you work to reduce the weight and to lessen this strain, you help your body to function properly. You also help to prevent health problems down the line including heart disease and diabetes, which can be life threatening as well.

This Can Offer a Jump Start to a Better and Longer Life

So just how much can the right weight loss surgery help an individual who is morbidly obese? Recent studies show that an individual who has such a surgery performed may live up to 5-10 years longer than an individual who does not. This is essentially reshaping the stomach and helping to naturally control portions and food consumption. Individuals who have this type of surgery do have to work at maintaining their weight loss and live healthier, and that helps with a longer life span too. Learning to eat the right foods in the right portions and getting to that ideal weight helps to serve as a positive boost to the health in and of itself.

So, if you are an individual who is morbidly obese and you are considering weight loss surgery, then you may reduce your mortality by up to a decade. Not only will you get to an ideal weight if you work at it, but this surgery may help to breathe new life into better health as well. If you are diligent about maintaining good healthy habits after the surgery and you really work to take care of yourself, then you can expect to live a longer and healthier life than you would have otherwise had. This surgery can offer the jumpstart that you need to improve your overall quality of life, and to ensure that you live longer than without the procedure. This is offering hope to morbidly obese people everywhere, making the decision to choose this helpful path easier.