Gastrointestinal Surgery Program (2023)

FAQs

What is the recovery time for gastroenterology surgery? ›

For major GI surgeries, such as esophagus, liver or pancreas resection surgery, you can expect to recover in the hospital for a few days up to one week after surgery. It may take two to three months after a major GI surgery for you to feel like yourself again.

The doctor or nurse will tell you how to prepare for your surgery. Most likely, you will have instructions about not eating or drinking before the surgery. The doctor may also tell you to stop taking some of your medicines or vitamins before surgery. Follow all of the instructions you get for preparing for surgery.

Include high-protein foods in your diet after GI surgery to heal faster and prevent infection. Eggs, tofu, lean meat, fish, yogurt, cheese, soy milk, and peanut butter are some examples of protein-rich foods. Consume high-calorie and nutrient-filled foods to prevent weight loss and various deficiencies.

As you begin to feel stronger and are no longer taking pain medication, you will be permitted to drive. Do not drive if you are taking any kind of pain medicine or medicine that impairs your judgment. You should not drive until you discuss this with your surgeon, at your first follow-up visit.

During Your EGD: The procedure typically takes between 10 to 30 minutes. You will lie on your left side. An anesthesiologist will administer an intravenous (IV) sedative so you sleep through the procedure. A plastic mouth guard is placed between your teeth to prevent damage to your teeth.

You may be awake during the procedure. But you will take medicine to relax you (a sedative) before the test. Someone will have to drive you home afterward. Follow any other instructions your provider gives you to get ready.

Options range from no anesthesia or sedation at all to general anesthesia, but for upper endoscopies, moderate or deep sedation is most common. The anesthetics that may be used to minimize pain and discomfort and reduce anxiety include propofol, benzodiazepines, and opioids.

Bariatric Surgery. Bariatric surgery procedures include gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, gastric band and duodenal switch.

What are the benefits of gastrointestinal surgery? ›

The GI surgery removes tumors or any damaged part from the gastrointestinal tract, such as intestine or pancreas. This GI surgery is also used to solve problems like inflammatory bowel disease, severe acid reflux, hernia and many other chronic diseases.

You can usually start eating regular foods about three months after surgery. At each stage of the gastric bypass diet, you must be careful to: Drink 64 ounces of fluid a day, to avoid dehydration.

Patients should avoid heavy meals that take a long time to digest; for example, loading up on pizza and rich foods. After general anesthetic or intravenous sedation, it is important to rehydrate. Patients may have a sore throat after surgery. Cold foods may make wounds and sore throats feel better.

Eating foods that are rich in carbohydrates help your brain, central nervous system, heart muscles, and kidneys. Foods that are rich in complex carbohydrates are: Grains: Brown Rice, Whole Wheat Bread, and Oats. Fruit: Raspberries, Plantains, and Bananas.

You can walk, climb stairs, shower, and bathe soon after surgery. But don't drive until your provider says you can. Follow all special diet instructions you are given. Take care of your cut (incision) and any drains, as directed by your provider.

After surgery, your caregivers will frequently ask whether you have passed gas. This is because passing gas is a sign that your bowels are returning to normal. You may not have a bowel movement for four to five days following surgery.

Avoid Overly Strenuous Activity

It may go without saying, but you need to avoid any strenuous activity while recovering from abdominal surgery. Your body will need time to heal, and physical activity can slow healing down or possibly even reverse it.

The Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy is the most widely used, and safest, in the bariatric world. As with any major surgery, gastric bypass and other weight-loss surgeries pose potential health risks, both in the short term and long term.

Can gastric surgery fail? ›

Failure after bariatric surgery is defined as achieving or maintaining less than 50% of excess weight loss (EWL) over 18 to 24 months or a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 35. The failure rate of LRYGB has been reported to be ∼15% with a long-term failure rate of 20–35% and a revision rate of 4.5%.

“As long as you are adequately sedated, you will not gag.” If you are concerned about gagging during an endoscopic procedure, talk with your doctor beforehand to understand the whole process and reduce any anxiety you are feeling. Your doctor and his or her staff can discuss ways to increase your overall comfort level.

An upper GI series is a painless, non-invasive way to give your healthcare provider a look inside of your esophagus, stomach and duodenum (upper small intestine). Fluoroscopy allows radiologists to see your organs in motion and observe how well they're working, as well as any abnormalities in the way they look.

You should not experience any pain during the endoscopy, but it may be quite uncomfortable. You will also be offered some sedation, which may help you to relax and may make everything more comfortable throughout. These procedures can take between 15 minutes and 1 hour, and you will be monitored throughout.

If your bowels are not clean, your procedure may get postponed, cancelled, or need to be repeated. You may also be given a different bowel preparation to clean your bowels better. Please follow our instructions and disregard the bottle which may tell you to take the laxative all at once.

The upper GI endoscopy most often takes between 15 and 30 minutes. The endoscope does not interfere with your breathing, and many people fall asleep during the procedure.

The most common discomfort after the examination is a feeling of bloating as a result of the air introduced during the examination. This usually resolves quickly. Some patients also have a mild sore throat. Most patients are able to eat shortly after the examination.

Propofol sedation is nothing at all like sleep. Sleep is reversible with external stimulation - if you shake somebody, they wake up.

What type of sedation is used for the endoscopic procedures? We generally use TIVA (Total intravenous anesthesia - intravenous drugs Versed, Fentanyl, Propofol) to sedate patients that do not require airway intubation (placement of a breathing tube).

At this point, if you are receiving sedation, you will start to be sleepy and will most likely remain asleep throughout the procedure, which generally takes about 10 to 20 minutes. Because of the sedation medication, patients are generally unaware of what is going on and do not remember anything when they wake up.

Which gastric surgery is least risk? ›

Bariatric Surgery Among the Safest Surgical Procedures

Vertical sleeve gastrectomy and roux-en-y gastric bypass procedures use a laparoscopic approach to reduce the risks of complications.

Dumping syndrome is a group of symptoms, such as diarrhea, nausea, and feeling light-headed or tired after a meal, that are caused by rapid gastric emptying. Rapid gastric emptying is a condition in which food moves too quickly from your stomach to your duodenum.

If you are 50 pounds overweight or more, the Lap Band could be for you. For over 20 years, laparoscopic bariatric surgery using an adjustable gastric band has been a safe and effective method in achieving significant weight-loss.

Both gastroenterologists and GI surgeons diagnose and treat conditions affecting the digestive system. Gastroenterologists are trained in internal medicine and receive additional training in problems of the digestive system.

A general surgeon can perform surgeries on various organs of the body like abdominal parts or endocrine glands. Gastroenterology is the study of functioning, disorders, symptoms, and treatment of issues of gastric (stomach and nearby) parts. The specialist in this field is a gastroenterologist.

To be eligible for bariatric surgery, you must be between 16 and 70 years of age (with some exceptions) and morbidly obese (weighing at least 100 pounds over your ideal body weight and having a BMI of 40).

Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty is a newer type of minimally invasive weight-loss procedure. In endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, a suturing device is inserted into your throat and down to your stomach.

Lap band surgery is the least invasive procedure for weight loss surgery, yielding the fastest recovery time.

As such the answer to can your stomach grow back after weight loss surgery is NO, it will not grow back to its original size, but rather hold a capacity that allows the patient to have a long term normal life once they achieve their weight loss success.

How many slices of pizza can I eat after gastric sleeve? ›

When can you eat pizza after the gastric sleeve? In general, you should be able to do so after surgery. After a few weeks following surgery for gastric bypass, you can eat whatever you want. In order to keep your slice to a minimum, you must limit it to once a week, and you must avoid high-fat, cheesy pizzas.

Diet after Bariatric Surgery

After protein, focus on non-starchy vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower and spinach. And then add in fruit or starchy foods. Starches such as fried potatoes, rice and pasta may make you feel bloated or gassy and may not be well tolerated.

Generally, avoid high-fat meats, eggs, dairy products, and sugary sweets. According to the National Institute of Aging (NIA), these foods are low in fiber and may lead to constipation.

Foods to avoid

Some options increase the chances of constipation, including cheese, red meat, sugary treats, and processed foods. Processed foods also lack the nutrients needed to heal, so are especially detrimental to your health.

Please avoid the following foods the first 7 days after surgery: Spicy Foods. Foods that are difficult to chew. Popcorn & Chips (avoid for a month)

Think about selecting soups that contain hearty amounts of vegetables and protein like black bean, vegetable, or lentil soups. Fluids are also a vital part of recovery, and soups help keep you hydrated while still packing a nutritional punch.

Soft bread and grains are excellent after surgery, including white bread, wheat bread, flatbread, and flour tortilla. Grains like oatmeal, cream of wheat, rice, pasta noodles, and saltines are also suitable foods.

Dairy ProductsAntibiotics are typically prescribed after surgery, as these help to prevent infection. However, they do kill beneficial bacteria in your gut. Eating foods such as yogurt, cheese, and kefir will help restore this bacteria and improve immune function.

The operation can take between 2 – 6 hours. During the operation, the diseased section of your stomach will be removed, along with some of the lymph nodes around it. If all your stomach is removed, the oesophagus (gullet) is joined directly to the small bowel.

During Your EGD: The procedure typically takes between 10 to 30 minutes. You will lie on your left side. An anesthesiologist will administer an intravenous (IV) sedative so you sleep through the procedure. A plastic mouth guard is placed between your teeth to prevent damage to your teeth.

How long do you stay in hospital after stomach surgery? ›

How long you stay in hospital will depend on the type of stomach surgery you had, your age and your general health. You will probably be in hospital for 3–10 days, but it can take 3–6 months to fully recover from a gastrectomy. Talk to your treatment team if you have any concerns about caring for yourself at home.

That means that if you are 100 pounds over your ideal weight, you will lose 50 pounds within a year of the surgery. If you are 200 pounds overweight, we expect you will lose 100 pounds the first year. You will continue to lose weight but at a slower rate after the first year.

Survival results

The 5-year overall survival rates in the distal subtotal gastrectomy and total gastrectomy groups are 65% and 47%, respectively (P < 0.001). In consideration of the clinicopathological differences existing between the groups, stage-stratified subgroup analysis is carried out.

You may be awake during the procedure. But you will take medicine to relax you (a sedative) before the test. Someone will have to drive you home afterward. Follow any other instructions your provider gives you to get ready.

Ask your doctor if you should stop taking omeprazole a few weeks before your endoscopy. This is because omeprazole may hide some of the problems that would usually be spotted during an endoscopy.

Most patients who undergo colonoscopy receive sedation with medications such as midazolam, fentanyl, or propofol. They continue breathing on their own, without needing a breathing tube.

Until you can eat and drink normally, nutrition will be given directly into a vein (intravenously) or through a tube inserted through your tummy into your bowel. Most people can begin eating a light diet about a week after a gastrectomy. After the operation, you'll need to take regular painkillers until you recover.

Most people are moving around freely within 3-5 days after surgery. Regular short walks are best, e.g. around your bed space, to the toilet, or just walking to look out of Page 4 Page 4 the window. By the time you are ready to go home you should aim to walk once every hour during the day.

The Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy is the most widely used, and safest, in the bariatric world. As with any major surgery, gastric bypass and other weight-loss surgeries pose potential health risks, both in the short term and long term.