How am I going to feel after the surgery?
After any of the bariatric procedures, the food intake will be just water and tea in the first 7 to 10 days after the surgery so you will feel some weakness and a little fatigue, most of the procedures with the exception of the lap band decreases the appetite considerably. Vomiting is not a desirable sign after any of the surgeries specially the lapband because it can cause slippage of the stomach through the device and requiring an operation, that’s why we suggest to take very small amount of fluid but with increased frequency.

When am I going to start eating normal food?
After the first week of the surgery the nutritionist gives the patients a blended diet for one more week and then you may start chewing your meals very thoroughly and once you feel satiety you might stop eating so you don’t present vomit or discomfort.

How long will it take the recovery after my operation?
The lapband is a 24 hour hospital stay procedure, in the gastric bypass and the sleeve gastrectomy we use to observe the patient for two days in the hospital and after one week after the surgery, via laparoscopy, the patient can be able to work, usually we encourage them to start exercise like walking, two weeks after the surgery and a full exercise at the end of the month.

How much weigh do I loose after the surgery?
The patients with lapband can loose 65 to 70% of the exceeding weight, at the end of the year after the surgery, the patients with gastric bypass and the gastric sleeve can loose as much as 85%, but you have to c be committed to the discipline that all the procedures requires, for instance you have to be aware when you need an adjustment in the case of the lapband and to be in close contact with the nutritionist so he/she can watch the pounds that you’re loosing per week or month, besides the fact of considering the exercise as an imperative part of the treatment in the long term.

How is the band adjusted?
Usually is done in the x ray department, as an outpatient service, it takes just a few minutes so we can access the port that was placed under your belly skin, through a fine needle we fill the band with saline water and controlled by fluoroscopy we fill the band so you can feel some resistance of the special liquid that you’re drinking just enough to let it flow through the stomach…is a painless procedure

Can I get pregnant after the surgery? 
You can, but not in the first year, it is highly recommendable to avoid pregnancy in the first year of the surgery since you’re loosing weight in a dramatic proportion specially after a gastric bypass and the gastric sleeve, so a pregnancy can harm the product because of the very low intake of calories, in the case of the lapband this can be loosened so you can eat the necessary food for you and the baby, after one year most of the patients with gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy can go for pregnancy.

Will I need to take vitamins supplements?
Most of the bariatric surgeries needs vitamins supplements specially the gastric bypass, the gastric band and the sleeve gastrectomy in a very different proportion and with a very well balanced diet might not need the vitamins at all

Can I drink Liquor after the surgery?
Alcohol is a high calorie beverage, specially beer, red wine and flavored cocktails, so it is advisable to avoid these kind of drinks as much as you can, maybe scotch and a glass of wine once in a while will not change the amount of calories, but you have to be very careful with the gastritis that a considerable amount of alcohol can provoke.

How safe is to be operated in Mexico?
For a long time US patients have come down to be operated to Monterrey and with very good results, the hospitals are certified by the Joint Commission and are fully equipped to take care of you, we have very nice hotels and we have a large experience in this kind of surgery since we have lot’s of obese patients.
The costs of the surgery and the stay in the city is fair enough to consider it as an alternative, we can arrange transportation from the airport to the hospital and the hotel

Is it possible to gain weight after the first year of the surgery?
Yes, if you don’t follow the nutritionist rules after the surgery or if you don’t do any exercise, you are candidate to gain some pounds in the future specially if you take too much carbohydrates or if you keep eating even when you feel full, or in the case of the lapband if you don’t commit yourself to the adjustments when needed. Remember that the purpose of these surgeries is to create in one year the discipline to eat well in quantity and quality for the rest of your life.