If you are in the process of having surgery or are preparing for an additional surgery, there are two key factors that very important to prioritize to help keep you safe and to recover safely after surgery.

Optimize your NUTRITION and MUSCLES the best you can before surgery to reduce your risk of complications.

Complications can arise when your overall health and nutrition aren’t optimized prior to surgery.

In gastric bypass patients, there is an overall risk of experiencing a “leak” from where your stomach and small intestines are sewn together. The risk of leak is ~0.6% and occurs in ~2% of gastric bypass patients.

A leak can result in a higher risk of re-operation (51%) and readmission (44% risk) within 30 days of surgery.

If you have 1) had a previous pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in your lungs) and/or are 2) not able to function (mobility wise) completely independently, you may be at a higher risk for leak with the gastric bypass surgery.

The following 2 health factors have been associated with adverse outcomes after weight loss surgery:

1. Low albumin: albumin is a protein made by the liver. If your albumin level (or pre-albumin levels) are too low (“hypoalbuminemia”), your body’s overall nutrition is weakened.
2. Low muscle mass: the term “sarcopenia” refers to muscle wasting due to immobility or the aging process.

Therefore, it is VERY important to optimize your nutrition and strength with your multi-disciplinary bariatric program prior to undergoing surgery.

Aim for lots of whole foods rich in protein to boost your nutritional labs and to improve healing after surgery and be sure to improve the amount of muscle on your body (while reducing body fat) in order to improve the quality of your health – and safety of your surgery- before going under the knife.