Recovering From Bariatric Surgery: A Guide
Sun 22nd Jun 2025
Undergoing bariatric surgery is a huge step for most people and involves significant lifestyle changes and a long-term commitment to weight loss and improved health. Your recovery from bariatric surgery will depend on various factors, including the type of surgery you’ve had. The most common procedures in Australia Are gastric sleeve and gastric bypass surgery.
Following your surgery, you must adhere to dietary guidelines closely, take all medications and recommended supplements and slowly incorporate physical activity into your routine. It is also vital that you stay in contact with your medical team and carefully follow all instructions during this time.
This article discusses what you can expect to experience immediately after your surgery and as you recover.
As a Plastic Surgeon, Dr Dona does not perform these surgical procedures. They are performed by Specialist General Surgeons.
However, Dr Dona regularly manages patients who have recently had these surgical procedures and is very familiar with the usual post-operative course and subsequent care required.
As always, the following is general advice and should replace any specific guidelines provided by your bariatric surgeon.
Immediately After Surgery
Most people spend approximately two days in the hospital after minimally invasive (keyhole) bariatric surgery. You may require several more days if you’ve had open surgery. During this time, it is normal to experience some unpleasant sensations, such as fatigue, weakness, nausea and vomiting, lightheadedness, loss of appetite and gas pain. It’s also normal to experience emotional ups and downs.
You will feel some pain after your surgery. There may be pain at your incision site or as a result of how your body was positioned during surgery. For example, some patients may experience neck and shoulder pain. This occurs due to the nature of the keyhole surgery performed.
You’ll be given various medications to address any pain you experience; however, don’t wait for your pain to become intolerable before asking for more pain relief. By maintaining a steady dose of pain relief, you can keep your pain manageable. Your specialist anaesthetist will typically prescribe strong pain medication for the first few days after treatment.
For the first day or so after your surgery, you’ll only be given clear liquids to drink. Once comfortable with these, you can start drinking other liquids, such as broth, unsweetened juice, skim milk, decaffeinated tea or coffee.
The most important way to speed up your recovery after bariatric surgery is to start some gentle movement as soon as possible. Simple movements such as circling your feet or sitting upright help encourage circulation. Your medical team will likely encourage you to get out of bed and stand at your bedside with the help of a nurse or physical therapist.
The day after surgery, you will be encouraged to get out of bed and walk. Ideally, you should take very short walks three times a day. You’ll also be given breathing and basic mobility exercises to perform in bed, which should be done every hour.
Returning Home After Bariatric Surgery
Depending on your progress, your surgeon will determine when you are ready to go home. Before you leave the hospital, you’ll be given specific diet, medications and physical activity guidelines. If you have any concerns or questions about your return home, discuss them with your nurse or discharge coordinator.
Most people take a week or two off work after bariatric surgery. When you return home, you’ll need to rest well, as your body is healing from major surgery and experiencing weight loss that occurred over your initial recovery period.
To give yourself the best chance of recovery and avoid complications, keep the following tips in mind:
Follow your doctor’s instructions. Your doctor will give you specific diet, exercise, medications, supplements and bathing instructions. If you are unclear on any of these instructions, contact their clinic.
Stay on a liquid diet: You must stick to a liquid diet for the first week or two after surgery. Your doctor will advise you how to slowly transition to eating solid foods over the next couple of months.
Pain relief and mobility: Take the pain medications prescribed as required, and have someone help you at home and drive you to any appointments, where necessary, so that you don’t overexert yourself and can give yourself time to rest and heal.
Diet And Lifestyle Considerations
You’ll need to make significant diet and lifestyle changes from the moment you have weight loss surgery, so you must prepare for these changes. Although change might feel difficult, try to focus on your key objectives: maximise your weight loss, keep the weight off and avoid any side effects from the procedure. Also, remind yourself of any specific goals, such as being able to exercise more, becoming more social, having less strain on your joints, or taking less medication.
The following tips will help you achieve these goals:
- Chew your food well and eat slowly.
- Remove distractions and focus only on eating at mealtimes.
- Avoid eating and drinking at the same time. Wait approximately 30 minutes after eating before you drink.
- Be wary of ‘liquid kilojoules’, such as juice, soft drinks, milkshakes and alcohol, as these contain lots of kilojoules with little to no nutritional value.
- Stop eating when you feel comfortably full and avoid overeating.
- After bariatric surgery, you will typically feel full with minimal food intake.
- Don’t skip meals, as this can make you more hungry later, making it easier to overeat, which can make you feel nauseous.
- Plan your meals. Stock your fridge and pantry with nutritious foods and ingredients so it’s easier to adhere to a healthy diet.
Avoiding Side Effects While Eating
After your bariatric surgery, you’ll need to take care to avoid experiencing certain unpleasant side effects.
Gastric bypass and gastric sleeve surgery: These surgeries leave a patient with the risk of ‘dumping syndrome’. This is when food passes through your stomach to your intestines too quickly, particularly after eating starchy or sugary foods. Typical symptoms include dizziness, sweating, cramps, vomiting, diarrhoea, palpitations and fainting.
You can prevent experiencing dumping symptoms by doing the following:
- Limit sugary foods and drinks.
- Leave 30 minutes between eating and drinking. Remember that your stomach has less space after these surgeries, so you must give it the time it needs.
- Eat small amounts of protein and complex carbohydrates throughout the day.
- Try to eat five or six small meals instead of three large meals. You must get enough nutrients and protein throughout the day. Now that your stomach has less space, you cannot compensate for any nutritional losses by eating more at the next meal.
Gastric band surgery: A gastric band tightens the entrance to your stomach. This slows the speed of food through the digestive system. You can help reduce symptoms of blockage, pain and vomiting by taking care with your food and eating habits.
- Avoid food getting stuck by chewing your food thoroughly.
- Eating too quickly can cause vomiting and pain. Try to wait for 30 seconds in between each mouthful.
- Leave approximately 30 minutes between eating and drinking. This will help keep large pieces of food from being washed into your stomach.
- If you experience reflux, speak to your surgeon. This could mean that the band needs adjusting.
Common Health Concerns After Bariatric Surgery
Dehydration: Most Australians have either gastric sleeve or gastric bypass surgery, which reduces the size of your stomach. This makes it more difficult to absorb water. Additionally, some patients suffer from nausea and vomiting after surgery, which can make it challenging to stay hydrated. To avoid dehydration, get in the habit of regularly sipping water and keeping fluids close by.
Bowel habits: After surgery, your bowel movements may vary significantly. Stools may be a different colour than usual, foul-smelling or associated with flatulence. Most of these issues will be resolved once the body heals and adapts to these changes. However, as bariatric surgery results in you consuming far less food and fibre, you may develop constipation. Try to eat more fibre or take a fibre supplement, and speak to your doctor if constipation becomes an issue.
Flatulence: After gastric bypass surgery, patients have a shortened bowel. This can result in more odorous gas or more forceful expulsion of gas from the body. To counteract this, try to eat meals slowly and chew food thoroughly. Also, avoid chewing gum or drinking with a straw, as both can contribute to gas. Lactose intolerance is often the culprit for gas, so try to avoid eating and drinking cow’s milk products, except for yoghurt, which shouldn’t cause any problems.
Anaemia: As bariatric surgery reduces stomach size, it makes it more difficult to absorb iron. You’ll likely be given a specific multivitamin that includes iron to help avoid developing anaemia.
Temporary hair loss: Hair shedding is one of your body’s natural stress responses to rapid weight loss. Although this may be distressing, it usually goes away six to 12 months after surgery. To help avoid hair loss, take a multivitamin daily and consume at least 60 to 80 grams of protein daily. Avoiding hair treatments such as permanent dyes at this time is also advisable, as it can stress your hair from the outside.
Skin changes: After bariatric surgery, patients may notice a difference in their skin’s texture and appearance and may experience changes such as dry or acne-prone skin. Healthy skin requires protein, vitamins and plenty of water, so follow your diet and hydration guidelines carefully.
Sexual activity and fertility: You can resume sexual activity when you feel physically and emotionally stable. However, women must be aware that their fertility may increase with rapid weight loss. You must use contraception at this time, as women must strictly avoid pregnancy during the first 12 to 18 months after surgery. Your body weight and micronutrient levels will change rapidly during this period, which is not ideal for supporting a healthy pregnancy.
The Importance of Exercise After Weight Loss Surgery
Along with a healthy diet, a vital component of your post-surgery weight loss journey will be exercise. However, you must build up slowly and adhere to the guidelines given to you by your surgical team.
You might feel weak and fatigued the first few weeks after your surgery. Short, frequent, nonstrenuous activities, such as short walks, are recommended during this time. Gradually increase the distance of your walks and try to walk at least four times a day. Ideally, by week six, you should walk 30 to 45 minutes daily. Keep in mind, however, that your progress will depend on your body size, health and the type of surgery you’ve had.
If walking is difficult due to strain on your joints, consider low-impact exercises such as swimming or water aerobics. Check with your surgeon first, though, as it’s essential that your wound has thoroughly healed (typically around four weeks) before you get in a pool.
After gastric surgery, your body may try to hold onto its fat stores and instead use muscle mass for energy. To prevent this from occurring, and once you’ve fully recovered from surgery, you must work your muscles regularly. Regular exercise that incorporates strength, resistance and cardio training will positively affect you by:
- Reducing body fat, risk of injury and stress
- Improving heart condition, mood, balance and stability
- Increasing energy, bone density and lean muscle mass
References:
Medibank: Recovering from weight loss surgery
healthdirect: Guide to bariatric surgery
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/guide-to-bariatric-surgery
