Which patients are suitable for restrictive operations (sleeve, gastric plication, lapband, gastric bypass)?

The patients who are most appropriate for these restrictive operations are those who we call “volume eaters”.
These are the patients who eat large quantities of food to cease their hunger.
After these restrictive operations the sense of hunger is very easily controlled eating very small meals during the day.
In this way we achieve great and sustainable results in weight loss.

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How much food can I eat after the operation?

The volume capacity of the stomach, usually depends on the operation that you have done and is 30ml to 150 ml, but this is not the rule.
The main factors that we consider in order to determine the postoperative stomach volume, are the age, the gender, the eating habits and the initial weight of the person, the initial body mass index (BMI), and the weight loss we want to achieve.

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Do I have to take nutritional supplements or vitamins after the operation?

In restrictive operations there is no bypassing of the normal route of the stomach and the gut, so the food consumed is absorbed very easily.
If the person eats a healthy and balanced diet, no dietary supplements or vitamins are needed.

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What do I eat after these operations?

During the first 30 days, the patient must eat mainly soft meals.
After the first four weeks, you may eat “freely”. That means that you can eat all kind of food, but you have to follow certain not so difficult rules.
The main thing is to avoid in a daily base, desserts and fluids rich in calories (milk shake, cola, alcohol etc.).
Sweets, milk shakes, cola etc., are allowed to be consumed less frequently (about once a week) and in certain quantities.
A very important factor is to eat 5 or 6 high protein-low fat meals a day, and drink a lot of water.
After the operation, and for as long as this is needed, we provide you with full dietary instructions.
Our medical team and dietitians keep a close communication and follow up and provide advice to our patients, by e-mail, phone, Skype call, or any other method available.

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How much weight will I lose and how long is this going to take?

All bariatric operations are very effective weight loss procedures.
The 50% of the excessive body weight is lost in the first 6 months. The remaining 50% is lost during the next year.

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Are bariatric operations reversible procedures?

All bariatric procedures are reversible except sleeve gastrectomy.
Even thought they are fully reversible, there is no reason to reverse the procedure.
In most of the patients, both in the short and long term, the operation behaves extremely well, and it usually has no discomforting symptoms and complications.
If we reverse the operation, the stomach takes its initial shape and size, but weight gain and obesity return very fast, and after a few months the patient returns to his/her initial weight and more.

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Can I get pregnant after a bariatric operation?

There is no problem for women who want to get pregnant after a bariatric operation.
On the contrary, after treating obesity, a lot of women get pregnant much easier.
Obesity is responsible for high estrogen levels in women. This is one among the many causes that causes woman infertility, or makes it more difficult to achieve a successful IVF (in vitro fertilization).
In all bariatric procedures, it is not advisable though for the woman to get pregnant during the first period after the operation, when there is a very rapid weight loss i.e. during the first 12 months.
After this period of time, weight loss is much slower and the woman can easily support a healthy fetus and deliver a healthy baby.

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Do I have to work out and when should I start?

Physical activity and exercise are very good allies in our battle against obesity.
You can start exercising two weeks after the operation.
We recommend going to a gym and having training 2-3 times a week.
The main purpose of this is not the acceleration of weight loss produced by the operation, actually we don’t recommend fat burning programs, but keeping the muscle mass intact during the period of rapid weight loss.
During your staying in our center, our gymnasts will provide a full training program according to your goals and needs, and after you return back home, you can have frequent communication with them, whenever you need to.

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