Hospitalization is on the same day as the surgery. At the entrance to the operating block, the patient undresses and gets prepared for surgery. The operation takes place under general anaesthesia and, depending on the procedure chosen, can last from 40 to 120 minutes. At the end of the procedure, we transfer patients to the Recovery Room where they are monitored and observed. In our protocol, we do not use many of the devices of traditional surgery: when the patient wakes up, there won't be any nasogastric tubes, abdominal drain, urinary catheter, or central vein catheter. This policy allows the operated person to breathe and move better. Already 30 minutes after the end of the operation, the patient with help from medical staff, gets up, walks, and begins to drink small sips of water. After about an hour, the patient goes into the ward where he must keep on drinking and walking. The patient may have nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, symptoms for which treatment is planned and which are short-lived. Walking helps significantly in reduction of postoperative pain. The day after the surgery, you receive food instructions for the home management of diet in the first weeks; pain and vomiting are now negligible. Two nights after the surgery, vomiting and pain disappear and the patient is discharged.      

Most people stay in the hospital for 2 nights after laparoscopic procedures and up to a week in case of open surgery. To reduce pain and recover early from surgery, about 30 minutes after waking up after the procedure, it is important to start walking and drinking in small sips. Once at home, you have to keep walking and drinking, following a strict liquid diet. You need to take extra care to stay hydrated. You must continue walking and drinking, even if you don't feel up to it. One week after the discharge, our Case Manager will phone you.

Most people return to work 3-4 weeks after surgery. If your work does not involve any physical effort, you can return to work even after a week. For the first 2 weeks the diet is strictly liquid, and then pureed foods and shakes for the following 2 weeks. Only on the 5th week after surgery you can switch to solid foods. It will be essential to eat slowly and chew for a long time (make sure to follow the nutrition plan delivered at discharge by our dietitian). About 6 weeks after the surgery, there will be a follow-up consultation with different members of our team. You should be getting around 20 – 40 minutes of light exercise every day. Walking is perfect. 

Your life should be getting back to normal now. You should be able to introduce other physical activities such as cycling, jogging, and swimming, as part of your new lifestyle. You should continue to eat slowly, chew for a long time, and drink separately from meals. Following these simple rules you will have a normal life. At the same time, the amount of food consumed will be reduced without the efforts of dieting. If you want you can join one of our group follow-up sessions where you will meet other bariatric surgery patients, and you will speak to our counsellor. From now on, it is natural for weight loss to slow down.

To fully benefit from the treatment, establishing a healthy new lifestyle is vital. Follow a full diet - where you avoid high-sugar, high-fat, and high-calorie foods and beverages. Lead an active life, making the most of the possibilities offered by your new body. It is essential to keep on attending follow-up visits. If you want to have a baby, losing weight should make it much more manageable and safer. However, it is crucial to wait with pregnancy until around one year after the surgery in order to give the body plenty of time to recover and adjust to the new lifestyle.