Coping strategies

Coping is a deliberate effort made by an individual to solve personal and interpersonal problems. Coping is a reaction to things that are affecting an individual in the environment. It is a survival technique in which a person aims to master or tolerate stressors in the environment. The ability to cope varies in individuals. A number of factors contribute to the ability of a person to cope. The type of stressor, the person and the environment are key determinants. Coping can be successful or it can fail. When coping fails, the outcome is maladaptive behavior. There are numerous coping mechanisms, which can be broadly divided into three. Appraisal focused coping mechanism is when an individual challenges themselves by facing ones assumptions. In problem focused approach, coping is aimed at reducing or eliminating the stressor. In the emotion focused approach, an individual aims at changing their own emotional response to various stressors.

What type of post op support do you have?

The group meetings that you attended prior to surgery are available to all patients post surgery. We encourage you to remain part of the bariatric patient community. It is a good idea to come and ask questions and network with other patients. As you lose weight and gain confidence and enthusiasm it is important to remember that the surgery is not a cure for obesity. Attending group meeting will remind you that weight gain is a possibility and weight maintenance is hard work. If you have specific food related questions and already a patient of Dr. Belsley that please feel free to reach out to

What type of post op support do you have?

We have weekly support groups in both English and Spanish. Please call the office to check which is scheduled.

What can I do to prepare for surgery?

Bariatric surgery is like other major abdominal surgery. You can best prepare by knowing the benefits and risks of surgery, and by closely following your doctor's instructions.

– Understand the surgical process and what to expect afterward.
– Keep in mind that you’ll never be able to eat the way you did before, and that you’ll have to watch what and how you eat for the rest of your life.
– Talk to people who have had bariatric surgery.
– Write down your reasons for having bariatric surgery and outline your plans to maintain your weight loss after surgery.
– Practice the post-op diet,

What is the percentage of patients that gain their weight back?

A majority of patients will regain some weight after a bariatric surgical procedure. The amount regained ranges between a few pounds and all of the weight lost during the operation. The amount of weight regained after the operation is dependent on many factors and this is one of the reasons why so much stress and attention is made to the importance of a healthy lifestyle during the pre-op and post-surgical period.

For laparoscopic gastric bypass, long term weight loss after gastric bypass is suggested to be approximately 60-70% of your excess body weight at 2 years, and 45-50% of your excess

Is there an online support system of call center if I can't make it to group?

If you are unable to attend a group meeting you can call the office or email questions at any time. You can schedule a phone consult with the dietitian during office hours. You will not have the same experience as meeting with other patients in person. You may benefit from listening to their ideas and questions as well. There is no sense of urgency for the group meetings and you can come when it is convenient for you to attend.

Puree Diet after Bariatric Surgery

Phase II can be summarized as soft foods which can be easily mashed, eaten with a spoon and can be tolerated easily. This stage continues to allow your system to heal and slowly adjust to more dense foods. Attempting portions that are too large or advancing too rapidly into foods that are very dense or hard can cause food getting “stuck”, vomiting, and pouch irritation. Remember as your diet advances the liquids should remain separated from the solids. If you drink while eating you will push food through the pouch and speed up the emptying of the pouch. This will just make room for more food.

Issues and Concerns after Bariatric Surgery

New behaviors take time to learn. The first few months after your operation represent a sensitive time both psychologically and physiologically. Depending on your operation, it is very important to allow any connections between the stomach and the intestine to heal. The first few months post-op are also complicated by problems with judging adequate hydration. You must be cognizant and careful that obesity and over-eating may be signs of an addiction behavior.

Long-Term Diet Suggestions

Your bariatric procedure is permanent. Unless you have some serious medical condition, your band will not be removed and your operation reversed. If you have had the gastric sleeve or the bypass, then your anatomy can never be restored to normal. Because of the nature of the surgery, you must focus on lifestyle changes. You must remember that you are NOT on a DIET but rather choosing healthy portion and diet choices for the rest of your life. You must renew your commitment each day and stick with it each day.

Smart Decisions and Portion Control

A fad diet is something that promises a quick fix. There is no fad diet associated with bariatric surgery. You need to be mentally equipped to understand how to eat in a healthy fashion and choose correct portions BEFORE you have your operation.

Revisional Bariatric Surgery

Current thinking is that revisional operations do not work very well and for that reason they are reserved for unique cases. As with many things in surgery, much depends on the circumstances and the available options, some of which we’ll describe below. In any case, I strongly suggest that patients return to their original surgeon who performed their first operation, as every surgeon individualizes the digestive arrangements in a particular manner. The only revisional operation I regularly perform is for patients who have a failed laparoscopic gastric banding. Those patients may benefit from having the band removed and then converting to a gastric bypass or a gastric sleeve.

Depression

Our understanding of depressive disorders has evolved with time. Hippocrates referred to the condition as melancholia. Freud considered the condition a consequence of guilt and conflicting emotions. The 1950s saw the condition being divided into endogenous and neurotic depression.Today there is consensus that depression is a syndrome often characterized by more than one symptom. Intense sadness and irritability for either short or long durations manifest during episodes of the condition. Physical signs include lethargy, body aches, mood swings, lack of appetite, overeating, and poor sleep patterns.