After the LAP-BAND Procedure
Life with the LAP-BAND
We are dedicated to providing you with the long-term care and support before and after weight loss surgery (including dietary and other behavior modification and counseling) necessary to help you incorporate and maintain the significant lifestyle changes that will enable you to achieve the best weight loss results. Our post-lap-band-procedure program includes:
- Scheduled follow-up visits with our surgeon and/or dietitian. After weight loss surgery, recipes for healthy eating may be different from what you are used to cooking; our dietitians can help you with meal and nutrition planning.
- Post-operative diet, nutrition, exercise, and support program. Eating well after weight loss surgery is essential to success.
- Also, our post-surgery support program can help you address concerns such as pregnancy after weight loss surgery and hair loss after weight loss surgery.
The lap-band is a weight loss tool whose long-term effectiveness largely depends on your ability to change your diet, eating, and exercise habits; failure to do so can lead to weight gain after weight loss surgery. DayOne’s comprehensive program will empower you with the knowledge of healthy eating and exercise habits that will maximize and maintain your weight loss. This program is designed to help you lose weight and stay focused and healthy throughout your post-surgery weight loss journey.
Follow-up Visits
During the first year after surgery, you will need to visit DayOne Health at least four follow-up appointments with our lap-band surgeon. These visits are designed to:- Monitor your recovery following surgery,
- Track your weight loss progress,
- Assess the need for a band adjustment; and
- Provide a one-on-one opportunity to discuss your concerns or post-operative problems
Post-Operative Diet, Nutrition, Exercise & Support
Diet & Nutrition After Weight Loss Surgery
Living after weight loss surgery carries with it certain restrictions, but the reward is increased health. We aim to provide you with the knowledge that will make your weight loss healthy and permanent. Our dietitian will meet with you before and after the surgery to discuss specific post-operative dietary recommendations. These include successful eating habits, foods to avoid, fluid requirements, vitamin and mineral regimen, and more.
During these counseling sessions, you will be encouraged to follow a balanced nutritional program. It is important that our patients review and follow the post-operative dietary guidelines very carefully, as they are critical to recovery and successful weight loss.
Importance of Exercise After LAP-BAND
Exercise is key to achieving health, vitality and faster weight loss. After your initial recovery period, we encourage you to add moderate exercise into your daily routine.
While walking is the recommended exercise immediately following surgery, four to six weeks after your surgery you may do any exercise you would like — aerobics, bicycling, swimming, running, strength conditioning, etc. The more exercise you incorporate into your life, the better you will feel.
Importance of Support Groups
Research shows that one of the most important factors in long-term weight loss is behavior modification. Because changing habits may be the hardest part of your journey, we at DayOne Health established a support program aimed at keeping you on track with your diet. This means that we provide not only a comprehensive follow-up visit system, but give our patients an opportunity to meet with other fellow lap-banders to talk about every day successes and challenges.
If you would like to read to more about our support groups please visit our support group page.
Plastic Surgery After Weight Loss
Plastic surgery is a personal decision. It’s difficult to tell whether in advance if a patient will require a cosmetic procedure. Skin elasticity is determined by multiple factors such as your age, your pre-surgery weight, and how long you have been overweight. Lap-bands patients typically lose weight slowly and steadily – one to two pounds each week. This gives the surplus skin time to retract and typically minimizes sagging. If you are still left with surplus skin and wish to undergo plastic surgery, DayOne Health can offer you a referral. Most plastic surgeons will require that you wait at least one year after your lap-band procedure and have reached a stable weight.
LAP-BAND Adjustments
One of the unique and important advantages of the lap-band system is that the band itself can be adjusted after your surgery with a simple injection. The adjustment is a non-surgical procedure that is performed on an outpatient basis within less than five minutes!
Made in consultation with our surgeon, adjustments can be made at any time four to five weeks after your surgery date. If you would like to learn more about lap-band adjustments, please go to our lap-band adjustment page.
Learn More About Life With The Band
If you are interested in learning more about the lap-band system, register for our online seminar or schedule a one-on-one consultation with our surgery. If you are already a Chicago patient you can contact our office at (312) 239-3838 to speak with our patient advocates or lap-band dietitian.
