Importance of Comprehensive Aftercare for Long-Term Bariatric Surgery Success
Melissa Beitner • November 14, 2024
Explaining the Importance of Aftercare
After undergoing bariatric surgery, comprehensive aftercare is crucial for long-term success, overall health, and minimising potential complications.
Essential Elements of a Successful Aftercare Program
When undertaking a life-changing procedure, you'll want to look for a bariatric program like ours that offers aftercare with the following essential elements:
- Lifelong — The gold standard for aftercare involves lifelong follow-up with a specialised bariatric team. Although it might seem like everything happens in the first 1-2 years, you do need someone to look after you continuously. Your weight loss surgery procedure is for life.
- Clear follow-up schedule — In the long term, you need to follow up at least annually. More frequent follow-up is associated with better outcomes.
- Comprehensive — Your bariatric program should offer comprehensive follow-up. You should follow guidelines by specialty societies for nutrient testing and other postoperative surveillance.
- Multidisciplinary — You should be able to consult with your dietitian, psychologist, exercise physiologist, and physician in addition to your surgeon.
- Offers ongoing support and education — Our doors are always open to our patients, and we offer multiple resources to support them on their journey. Resources are updated regularly to best serve our patients and reflect current medical evidence.
- Nonjudgmental — As we said, our doors are always open to our patients and those of other practices. Even if things go wrong or you regain some or all of your weight, there are ways we can help. You deserve to be heard and not judged.
- Expertise in managing long-term complications — You'll want to make sure your team knows how to manage complications if they arise.
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