Gastric surgeries refer to the surgical
processes in the stomach and the most common gastric surgery is the
Gastric bypass surgery( stomach is
divided into a small upper pouch and a much larger lower "remnant"
pouch and then the small intestine is rearranged to connect to
both).
Care for a patient following
gastric surgery
1) Wound Care
- change the dressing every day if your provider tells you to do
so.
- Be sure to change dressing if it gets dirty or wet.
- DO NOT allow to wear tight clothing that rubs against incisions
while they heal.
- Keep dressing (bandage) on wound clean and dry.
- If there are sutures (stitches) or staples, they will be
removed about 7 to 10 days after surgery.
- Some stitches can dissolve on their own.
- Unless told otherwise, DO NOT shower until after follow-up
appointment with provider.
- Advise to press a pillow over incisions when the patient need
to cough or sneeze.
2)Post-operative lab work
Lab work is done at 4, 12, 18, and 24 month visits after
surgery, and then yearly:
-
CBC
- Ferritin, iron, iron saturation
- Comprehensive metabolic profile
- Intact parathyroid hormone
- RBC folate
- Vitamins A, B1 (thiamine), B12, and 25 hydroxy Vitamin D
3) Follow-up with your patient
After gastric surgery, it is helpful to see your patients within
one to two weeks after surgery to review medications, and to check
the status of the abdominal wound.
- Patients who have diabetes may need decreased amounts of
diabetic medication within a few days of surgery. Patients are
instructed to monitor their glucose levels four times daily.
- The need for antihypertensive medication may change early after
surgery, as well. Patients who take antidepressant medications
should be encouraged to remain on these medications for the first
few months following surgery.
- Patients are encouraged to drink at least 48-64 ounces of
non-caloric fluids daily.
4) Post-operative
After surgery patients will progressively advance their diet
from liquids to solids, over a seven-week period.