Recovery Time for Lap Band Surgical Procedures

The lap band surgery is an effective tool for weight loss. The procedure limits the amount of food that a patient can consume during a meal to aid in restricting calories and shedding pounds. The procedure is a safe surgery and is less drastic than a gastric bypass surgery, which changes the digestive system. Your recovery time from the procedure will depend on your progress after the surgery.

Surgery Recovery

• Immediately after the lap band surgery, you will not be able to consume anything more than a sip of fluid. Liquids continue the day after the procedure, but you should be able to drink a little more. The staff in the hospital will provide you with liquids that have an adequate number of calories.

  The doctor makes five small incisions to perform the lap band procedure with a laparoscopic surgery. You may be able to leave the hospital on the same day as the procedure. The staff will monitor your progress after the procedure to make sure that you can stand and walk, tolerate fluids and understand your pain management plan.

Care at Home

• You should be able to return to work about a week after your procedure. Monitor how you are feeling to make that determination. Some patients may need a little longer to recover and others are ready to go in just a few days. Discuss with your doctor the day you should return to work.

  You will only be able to consume a liquid diet for the first two weeks after your procedure. The diet should consist of liquids such as soup without meat or vegetables, fruit juice, skim milk and frozen popsicles without sugar.
  Your new diet will progress to different stages until you are able to tolerate solid foods. For the next two weeks after your liquid diet, you can begin eating pureed foods. The diet for this stage includes mashed potatoes, pureed fish or chicken, pudding, yogurt and pureed peas.

  Once you reach the five- week point, you can begin introducing soft foods to your meal plan. Do not eat any food that is too difficult to chew and swallow. Chew all of the soft foods well to avoid nausea and pain when eating.

New Healthy Lifestyle

• By the sixth week, most patients are fully recovered from the surgery.
  The diet does not stop after the fifth week. By the time you reach your sixth week of recovery, you will begin working on your diet plan that you will live with for the rest of your life. Work with your nutritionist to make the most of the diet and lose the weight.