I look at social media, magazines and people. Even though most people shy away from any uncomfortable exercise regimen, most people, men and women, will spend time and money looking after their appearance and cleanliness. The basics of cleanliness and acceptability amongst your peers is simply soap and water with deodorant. Does not matter what sphere of life you come from, this is the accepted “norm”. Then you get those who spend hours each month at the hairdresser, nail bar, beauty salons and spas. If not there, at home, pampering their bodies with the latest and best products on the market for stronger and more shiny hair or softer more silky skin. Beauty products sell like hotcakes. And most want to look good and feel good. So we spend money for this.
When it comes to obesity surgery, we change the “inside” of the patient which in turn influences what you see in the mirror, significant weight loss. Patients are ecstatic. They are euphoric. And then they forget the most important thing we told them before the surgery. To look after the outside, you have to look after the inside first!
When we do these operations, particularly when we operate on the small bowel and alter the anatomy and physiology of digestion and appetite regulation, there are consequences that can be severely damaging to your body in the long-term. Cartain parts of the intestine within you that has been bypassed was and still is responsible for absorbing certain vitamins, minerals and protein. These require replacement over a lifetime. Some patients, and they are a minority, adapt and require very few supplements after surgery. More importantly patients don’t always understand that as they get older or even just change their eating and lifestyle habits over time, that they can suddenly become depleted of critically necessary nutrients.
All it takes to monitor any chronic deficiency and adjust replacements necessary for your own unique body, is a visit to your experienced multidisciplinary bariatric unit for blood tests and examinations once or twice a year, obviously forever! If the inside is looked after, the outside will definitely shine.
There is an old saying: “You are what you eat”. This is so relative to the patients who have had bariatric (obesity)surgery. One thing that really distresses me as a surgeon, is when a patient comes back with or without a problem after surgery, tells me they don’t need to see the dietician.
World-wide we have seen that the most important person you as the patient have to see after surgery, is the dietician. Patients often have very little insight into how far they drift away from a healthy eating plan.
So please, look after your surgery, your inside, so that you can enjoy a happy healthy long life. This is the bariatric team’s wish for all of you.
In memory of a dear colleague who passed away from cancer recently I would like to pass on his final wishes to all of you to. Life is short, go out and hug your loved ones.
