Among the signs of malnutrition after gastric sleeve surgery, there may be negative conditions such as hair loss, fatigue, stress and skin sagging. Because the volume of the stomach is limited after surgery, consuming liquids and solids together will a protein deficiency, as it will take up more volume in the stomach.
Because of this, especially Zinc, B12, Iron deficiency may develop. As it can be seen, protein deficiency can also cause other vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Liquids that we will take immediately before or after any solid food that we consume after obesity surgery will cause solid food to pass into the small intestine very quickly.
Due to this, the small intestine will not be able to absorb food, and complications such as cramps, cold sweats, weakness, dizziness, and vomiting may occur. Taking solid and liquid food together after surgery will cause the stomach to grow due to the expansion of solids along with liquids.
Hair loss: Half of the patients who have undergone an operation for bariatric surgery experience hair loss after the operation. Stress, insufficient nutritional intake, vitamin-mineral deficiencies, insufficient water consumption, a decrease in calorie intake, a sudden change in metabolic balance can trigger hair loss.
Hair loss experienced after surgery usually occurs between 3-6 months. Decadal loss is the most common cause of hair loss in women. When the patient adapts to the new lifestyle after surgery, when weight loss comes into order, it improves approximately in the of 12-18 months.
Thinning and hair loss may occur in the strands of hair due to rapid weight loss a few months after obesity surgeries. This is usually a temporary problem. The reason is insufficient protein intake.
Inability to lose weight: After surgery, the inability to lose weight as much as expected and the return of the lost weight can be seen very rarely. Eating disorders, eating liquid calories, alcohol intake can cause this risk.
Skin sagging: This is a problem that is often encountered. After a large amount of weight loss, there may be sagging and wrinkling of the skin.
The amount of weight given, the elasticity of the skin, age, sports performed affect the amount of their sagging. Of course, malnutrition is one of the biggest factors. For these operations, you should choose a specialist plastic and reconstructive surgeon.
After surgery, you should definitely limit foods with a high fat content, starchy and sugary foods, drinks, and meet your reduced calorie needs from protein-heavy foods first. To prevent dehydration, take 30 minutes before meals.
Your daily fluid intake should be at least 1500 ml, provided that it is not before, after and during meals. You should also keep it in. It should be fed little by little and often, as soon as the feeling of satiety is reached, the eating process should be stopped.
Extending the transition period to solid foods to prolong weight loss or still insisting on liquid nutrition is the biggest evil you will do to yourself. This operation mainly reduces the amount of food taken through reducing the volume of the stomach.
It is also a very effective operation on appetite control and satiety feeling due to the hormone called Ghrelin secreted from the removed part of the stomach. Nutrition after Sleeve Gastrectomy surgery consists of 4 periods: liquid-mashed-soft foods and solid foods.
During this period, when eating habits change, the transition times between periods, the tolerability of food, the correct information provided to the patient, the close relationship established with the doctor and nutritionist, and close follow-up can dec comfortably and smoothly.
How Can I Avoid Malnutrition After Gastric Sleeve?
How can I avoid malnutrition after gastric sleeve, your willingness to do this is essential. You have to convince yourself of an orderly life. Malnutrition following bypass surgery is a potentially fatal complication that can develop months or years after the procedure.
1 Malnutrition is a well-known risk, and patients are informed about it prior to surgery. Certain weight-loss procedures, such as gastric sleeve surgery, are more probable to occur in malnutrition.
After gastric sleeve surgery, there are two main ways to avoid malnutrition. The first is to consume a diet rich in nutrient-dense foods. This entails consuming a variety of fruits, vegetables, and lean protein while avoiding empty calories from processed foods, sugar, and beverages.
The other option is to include supplements in your daily diet; depending on your needs, these supplements may be meds or available at which vitamins are sold. We recommend that supplements in the months following surgery include at least:
- 12 mg of vitamin B1 (thiamine) per day
- Vitamin B12 (cobalamin): 350-500 mg daily orally
- 400-800 mg folic acid from a multivitamin
- 18 mg iron from a multivitamin
- Calcium and vitamin D
- Zinc content varies.
- Copper: the amount varies.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5700383/
https://academic.oup.com/advances/article/4/5/506/4557965
