Long term follow-up

There is a close correlation between weight loss success and patient well-being with aggressive follow-up, especially during the first year after surgery when patient monitoring is most critical.

At these visits, weight loss is monitored, and patients are evaluated for overall health, vitamin levels, medication titration, activity levels, dietary habits, bowel function and hydration status.

After the first postoperative year, patients are seen less frequently, generally once or twice a year. However, at these visits, patients should be assessed for nutritional deficiencies, accuracy of their diet, weight maintenance, the presence of symptoms and overall health. Any potential deviation from what is expected often considered as a problem that should be addressed and managed. Commonly these are simple reversible and manageable issues such as dietary non-compliance (patients chronically overeat and/or abuse calorie-dense foods, candies or sweets) or lack of physical activity that could be properly addressed, bringing patient back on the track. Otherwise, revision or conversion to a more radical operation is an option, but carries a higher morbidity than the original procedure.