![]() ![]() Keep your scars out of the sun: Scars become easily sunburned.Treat them early: The sooner you treat scarring, the better the outcome.They may also be performed at any time during the healing process to “soften” scars and improve appearance. Steroid injections: Steroid injections can be administered at the time of surgery to reduce risk of scarring.Laser treatments: Laser treatments will reduce abnormal scarring.Apply creams and/or gels under a bandage: Anti-scarring creams and gels covered with bandages have shown benefit in scar reduction.An additional factor in the scarring is your skin type and bodies ability to recover from incisions.ĥ ways to address post gastric bypass scarring: ![]() Surgeons do their best to minimize the size of the scars and operate in a way that makes scarring discreet. These incisions will vary by location depending on surgeon preference. The procedure will leave 6 half-inch incisions on the upper abdomen. Scars are unavoidable after gastric bypass surgery. Image source: See our Plastic Surgery After Weight Loss page for more information. ![]() And don’t lose hope. You’re never too old to get healthy.Image source: Image source: Keep searching until you find the right surgeon. So what can we learn from Walter? Don’t give up. And many surgeons are not willing to take on additional risk to help someone over the age of 60. A surgeon’s results affect their ability to get new patients. Bariatric surgeons put their reputation on the line every time they perform surgery. There are inherent risks for older patients regardless of the procedure. Many bariatric surgeons may not be willing to operate on patients over 60 years old. He was ready and lucky enough to find a doctor willing to help. Walter had weight loss surgery at age 65. If you have the desire to become healthier and you find someone that is able to get you there.Do not listen to your family and friends.Find a doctor that is understands your need to be healthy and live the rest of your life.Walter can expect to continue losing weight for 12 to 18 months. Walter has lost about 96 lbs since surgery (in 6 months). The more you exercise the more you want to.” ![]() The more he exercised, the more he wanted to exercise. The first 4 to 6 weeks after surgery are typically limited to liquids and soft foods (broth, eggs, cheese).Īs the weight came off, Walter became active. The new stomach can physically not hold more than a few ounces of food at a time. About 80% of the patient’s stomach is removed during surgery. Dietary and Exercise ChangesĪfter gastric sleeve surgery, patients have to change their diet. Surgery is also associated with a low mortality rate and an acceptable morbidity profile (low death and complication rate). Weight loss surgery is effective in patients >or=65 years of age, producing significant excess weight loss, reduction in daily medication use, and improvement in quality of life. A few weeks after surgery he was “pretty much back to normal.”Ī study published in Obesity Surgery 2010 found the following: He was sore but the pain medication helped. He says he didn’t get around so well after surgery but his surgeon told him to expect that. “I wanted to add years to my life and life to my years.” SurgeryĪgainst his family’s protests, Walter had gastric sleeve surgery. The doctor agreed.īut at his age, his family was strongly against it. He said that he was willing to take the risk and that he needed this to live out the rest of his life. When the time came, Walter wrote a letter to the surgeon who performs weight loss surgery at the VA. He wanted to prove that he was a good candidate for weight loss surgery. But as he lost weight in the weight management program, he became motivated to lose more. Walter had no idea the VA offered weight loss surgery coverage. Then his doctor at the VA told him they had a weight management program and, if he qualified, he may be eligible for weight loss surgery. He only had a year or two left, he figured. Walter decided to live out his golden years eating what he wanted. He’s also a great example of perseverance and hope. He’s male and had bariatric surgery at age 65. 83% of patients are female according to the same study. The average age of a bariatric patient is 42 ( AJN, Sept. Subscribe: RSS Click play to listen to the interview. ![]()
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