What to Expect Preparing for Bariatric Surgery and during Your Recovery
Looking forward for your day of surgery in your weight loss treatment? Receiving weight loss surgery is definitely the right choice for patients struggling with obesity, as it has proven to be a reliable, safe and effective measure for losing weight and improving your overall health. Bariatric surgery has also been proven effective for resolving or ameliorating obesity-related illnesses like type II diabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, joint pain, heart disease, osteoarthritis, dyslipidemia, asthma, varicose veins, infertility, and so much more. However, a weight loss treatment does not only consist on your weight loss surgery. This step is only one of many in your weight loss journey!
Dr. Liza María Pompa González and her experienced staff have outlined what patients can expect when visiting LIMARP® for a weight loss procedure. Here we will provide our patients with information regarding what they can expect when they arrive at our center in Tijuana, Mexico, to begin their weight loss journey. Rest assured that our expert team of specialists and staff are here to ensure you receive the best attention and quality procedures that deliver the best possible results.
Initial consultation
Once you’ve decided to reach out to our obesity clinic, one of the top medical tourism destinations in Tijuana, Mexico, hayas decidido you will receive an initial consultation, either by videoconference or an appointment at our premises. During this initial consultation, you and Dr. Liza María Pompa González will talk about your experience and struggles with obesity, your clinical history, your current health condition, and your weight loss goals.
With this information, Dr. Pompa will guide you through all your options for obesity treatment. We offer an integral bariatric program that tackles obesity from a multidisciplinary approach. With our obesity program, you will receive clinical treatment along with nutritional guidance, psychological assistance and personalized fitness training. Depending on your initial body weight and your clinical history, you might be eligible either for a non-surgical intervention, such as an intragastric balloon or a gastric band, or for a surgical intervention like a gastric sleeve, a gastric bypass, a mini gastric bypass or a duodenal switch. The decision will rely on you and on Dr. Pompa. Once the decision is made, we will schedule your surgery day depending on your availability and personal plans.
Before Surgery
Before the big day arrives, we need to get your body ready for surgery. You will meet with our bariatric psychologist and nutritionist to ensure that you are prepared for your weight loss journey. Our nutritionist will advise you on the type of diet you should follow previous to your surgery and will educate you on nutritional considerations you should take after surgery.
You will be given pre-surgical instructions days before your surgery. You should feel free to ask any question and to voice all of your concerns. We will gladly provide you with all the information you need to know.
You will need to start a strict pre-operative low-calorie and low-carbohydrates diet 10 days before your surgery to strengthen your immune system and to prepare your body for some serious weight loss. You will also be advised to take vitamin supplements weeks before your procedure to boost your defenses and get your body in shape for the procedure. Your doctor will prescribe which vitamins are the right choice for your personal case.
You will not be able to eat or drink anything at least 12 hours before the procedure since you’ll be operated with an empty stomach.
Getting Ready for the Big Day
Packing and getting ready for surgery day is pretty exciting. Make sure you gather everything you need for your hospital stay. Remember that you will be staying in our private recovery rooms for at least a night and, if you are travelling from abroad, you might stay a couple of nights at our next-door hotel. When you’re getting ready, don’t forget to pack:
- Your personal documentation, like your ID, passport or insurance card
- Entertainment
- Your phone charger
- Headphones
- Lip balm and moisturizing creams
- Wet wipes and Vaseline
- Comfortable underwear
- Comfortable clothes
- Warm socks
- Pajamas
- Bath robe and slippers
- Slip-on shoes
- Flip flops
- Toiletries
- A water spray to keep you refreshed during the first hours after your surgery
- Your favorite bedding supplies
All of this will get you settled and comfortable during your stay. If you forget anything, our clinic is conveniently located at a commercial plaza where you can obtain everything you need.
Admission and Surgery Day
On the day of their surgery, local patients will be immediately admitted to LIMARP® hospital because all of the necessary pre-surgery consultations and evaluations would have been completed.
International patients will be met by a properly identified driver at the San Diego International Airport and taken across the border directly to LIMARP®. All patients will be asked to sign hospital admittance and consent forms. International patients will then have a pre-operative consultation with Dr. Pompa González and other members of our medical team.
Patients are then taken to their private room, where pre-surgical evaluations are performed. These evaluations include lab tests and an electrocardiogram.
You will also meet with our post-operative doctors to discuss your post-surgery diet and weekly menus. You will receive an iPad to use during your stay, with our animated videos regarding bariatric education, which easily illustrate the important measures you have to follow during your hospitalization and that are essential for your safety and to avoid complications. Our anesthesiologist will also complete a full evaluation and discuss the type of anesthesia and pain management protocol that will be used for your procedure. Once you are completely ready, your surgery can begin.
You will meet with your nurses, bariatric physicians, anesthesiologist and internal medicine doctor. You will be provided with a hospital gown to wear and once you have been given medications to help you relax, you will be taken to the operating room. Before your surgery, our board-certified anesthesiologist will administer the appropriate anesthesia and pain medication for your procedure.
Our bariatric surgeries are performed through minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques. This means Dr. Pompa will make small incisions in your abdomen, where she will insert a laparoscopic camera to guide her procedure. The length of your surgery will vary depending on the specific procedure to be performed, but anyone accompanying you can expect a one to two hour wait time. Dr. Pompa will personally inform your family or friends when your surgery is completed.
When you wake up after your surgery, you will find yourself in our recovery area, where you will be monitored during the first hours after your surgery. When the time is right, you will be taken to one of our private recovery rooms from which you can enjoy breathtaking views to the city of Tijuana and to its urban golf course.
Recovery times will vary from patient to patient, but most can expect to be up and walking within a few hours with only minor discomfort. You will receive pain medication according to your recovery protocol, developed to help you recover as quickly as possible.
Recovery Timeline
Your recovery milestones and projected timeline for discharge following surgery will depend on the type of procedure you undergo.
Gastric Sleeve and Gastric Bypass
The day after surgery is considered the first full day of recovery for gastric sleeve and gastric bypass patients. At the appropriate time you will be taken to radiology for a contrast test. During your hospital stay, you should concentrate on your breathing therapy and on doing light movements. Our LIMARP® team will accompany you throughout the day, providing you with shaved ice, popsicles and water; you will also receive intravenous (IV) liquids to keep you well hydrated. Dr. Pompa González will make rounds to check on you throughout the day.
On your third morning, you will have a final consultation with our post-operative specialists and will receive written post-operative instructions. Dr. Pompa González will explain how to care for your surgical wounds. Local patients can return home and international patients will be taken to the hotel for an additional one to two days of recovery prior to travel. All of our patients must strictly follow their postsurgical instructions, for their own safety and for the effectiveness of the procedure.
Duodenal Switch
Patients who undergo a duodenal switch procedure will face a similar recovery on day one and two as gastric sleeve and bypass patients. In the morning you will be taken to radiology for a contrast test. You will continue with your recovery by increasing movement and will be receiving shaved ice, popsicles, water and IV hydration. Dr. Pompa González will check on you periodically.
On day four, duodenal switch patients will have a final consultation with our post-operative specialists and receive written post-operative instructions. Dr. Pompa will show you how to care for your wounds before being discharged. Local patients will return home, while international patients will be taken to the hotel to continue their recovery for a further one to two days before traveling. All of our patients must strictly follow their postsurgical instructions, for their own safety’s sake and for the effectiveness of their treatment, as failure to do so might lead to complications or to poor weight loss results.
Recovery after your surgery
Once you head back home, you should take a mandatory rest of two weeks that consist in avoiding stairs, exercise or intense physical activity and carrying heavy objects. You should really take it easy in these first weeks so your body can start adapting to your new stomach.
Post-Operative Diet
Complying to your post-operative diet is a fundamental part of your weight loss journey. You should follow a clear liquids diet from days 3 to 7 after your surgery. This mainly consist on water, broth and jello. Keeping yourself properly hydrated is very important during this phase. Then you may start a liquid foods diet for your second week after surgery. Protein shakes, soups, yogurts and oatmeal are great choices during this period. You can then move to pureed and very soft foods during your third week and you will slowly start to gravitate toward healthy solid foods from week 5 onward.
Vitamins
Vitamins are very important during your weight loss journey. Patients that underwent bariatric surgery should take vitamin supplements that almost double the daily recommended dose of each type of nutrient and should take additional iron, folic acid, and calcium. Other vitamins like Vitamin B1, B12, D, A, E, K and supplements like zinc and copper are also highly recommended. It is important to consider that bariatric patients might need to take vitamins and dietary supplements for a long time, as a long-term complementary treatment. This should be fully acknowledged by every bariatric patient, as this issue will become constant and long-term expense.
Post-Operative Follow-Up
And your weight loss journey doesn’t just end there. A bariatric surgery is one of the first steps for drastic weight loss, but not just in itself. For long-lasting results, patients should stick to a healthy diet and keep themselves active with moderate exercise. This will eliminate any risk of weight regain. Also, patients should stay available for a long-term follow-up of their obesity treatment.
Patients should expect to have follow-up consultations, first during the first weeks and first month after surgery, then another at month 3, month 6 and year 1 after surgery. After that, yearly follow-up consultations are strongly recommended. Compliance to these consultations are very important in your weight loss journey because they help you stay on a healthy track.
On your follow-up consultations we check your Body Mass Index, your body weight, your blood pressure, sugar levels and many other health indicators that are fundamental for your wellbeing. If we notice anything cause for alarm, or any setbacks in your treatment, we act immediately with proper medication, supplementation or follow-up procedures deemed necessary.
Long term follow-up at LIMARP is easy and convenient thanks to our very own Follow-Up app and software platform. You can download it on your phone or favorite it in your browser’s bookmarks. With this feature, you can keep track of your weight loss journey as you register your weight loss accomplishments and your medical status.
Your Weight Loss Journey can start at LIMARP
LIMARP International Center of Excellence for Obesity is one of the top medical tourism destinations for bariatric surgery in Tijuana, Mexico. It has been certified as a Center of Excellence by the Surgical Review Corporation, a distinction that very few clinics in Mexico have. Dr. Liza María Pompa González has also been certified as Surgeon of Excellence and Master Surgeon by the same corporation. She’s the first female surgeon to be awarded with this distinction worldwide.
We are located at the business district in Tijuana, only 15 minutes from the International Border with San Diego. Our clinic is on the sixth floor of the Twin Towers Complex in Tijuana, right next to the urban golf course Country Club Tijuana. This allows our private recovery rooms to have stunning, breathtaking views of the golf course and of the most attractive sections of the city.
Tijuana is definitely the go-to city of Mexico for top quality medical tourism services. In Tijuana, medical tourism services comply with international and national standards and are supervised and certified by institutions such as the Secretariat of Sustainable Economy and Tourism of Baja California. More than 2 million people travel to this city every year to obtain bariatric surgery, cosmetic surgery, dental services, pharmaceuticals and so much more at an affordable price.
Our clinic offers safe and high-quality obesity treatments and cosmetic solutions at a competitive cost that’s only a fraction of the price for the same services offered in the United States, Canada and Europe.
We accept American and Canadian medical insurance and we are registered for medical financing.
Our LIMARP clinic has also been certified as a COVID-19 safe environment by the Secretariat of Sustainable Economy and Tourism of Baja California and the Global Healthcare Accreditation Standards for Medical Travel Programs. Traveling to Tijuana for your bariatric surgery is safe, convenient and affordable.
Are you ready to start your weight loss journey? LIMARP, with the expertise of Dr. Liza María Pompa González is definitely the best option you could possibly find. At LIMARP we are committed with your weight-loss goals. Don’t hesitate and call us today for initial consultation. You could be on the brink of starting your weight-loss journey today! You might be just a phone call away for a life-changing experience.
Discover Your Expected Timeline
If you are considering bariatric surgery such as a gastric band, gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, duodenal switch or revisional surgey, contact us today to schedule a consultation. Our specially trained and highly experienced team can help you understand your options and what you can expect from our expert treatment. You can call our phone number (619) 270-8823 or you can send us a message either through this webpage or any of our social media pages. Our expert team will be glad to assist you.
