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Lap-Band surgery is one of the safest and most effective forms of weight loss surgery. Like other forms of weight loss surgery, a Lap-Band procedure is minimally invasive, and your recovery should be relatively quick. By following the recommended dietary guidelines, your recovery time will be minimal and successful.
Preparing for Your Recovery
Most people can receive their Lap-Band surgery as an outpatient procedure; the operation itself does not require an overnight hospital stay and takes only one hour. You’ll be able to return to work within approximately a few days to a week as your recovery from Lap-Band surgery continues. After your first month, you’ll fully be back to your normal schedule of physical activity.
When you wake after your surgery, it is likely that you will experience some pain; this pain is normal and should recede after a few days. In the first 24 hours after your Lap-Band surgery, you will only be able to drink a small amount of liquid. Small amounts of solid food will gradually be re-introduced in your diet.
Your Diet for Lap-Band Recovery
Changes to your diet are one of the biggest parts of a successful recovery from Lap-Band surgery. For the first several weeks after the procedure, you’ll need to drink liquids and eat only blended or pureed foods. These foods include mashed potatoes, fruit smoothies, pureed vegetables, or other foods blended using a blender or food processor.
You should eat four or five times a day, with small portions each time. When you eat, make sure that you consume your food slowly and stop eating as soon as you feel a sense of fullness in your chest. It’s also important that you consume around eight glasses of water during the day. However, instead of drinking with your meals, make sure to drink between your meals.
In the next few weeks, you can begin to consume solid foods that are soft. These types of foods include whole-grain cereals in milk or soft fish in sauce. Six weeks after surgery, you can begin to consume a healthful diet of all types of foods, in small portions.
Physical Activity to Help You Heal
Throughout your recovery from Lap Band surgery, you will be encouraged to exercise. Your doctor will provide guidelines to avoid heavy lifting or other potentially dangerous activities during your recovery period. Physical activity helps to keep you physically fit, aid your weight loss and prevent sagging skin during your weight loss journey.
By adhering to dietary guidelines and engaging in responsible physical activity, you can help your Lap-Band surgery recovery – and your weight loss – to be safe, quick and efficient.
