Bariatric Surgery Center at Highland Hospital

Understanding Bariatric Surgery

Long-term Lifestyle

You have complete control over the success of your surgery. That is, your surgeon can provide the procedure—a key tool for your weight loss—but you need to follow through with changes in several areas of your life.

Some General Guidelines

• Don't smoke! Smoking injures your stomach and intestines. After surgery, you will have a smaller stomach and therefore a greater chance of developing bleeding ulcers. If you need help quitting smoking, we offer smoking cessation programs.
  
  
• Avoid aspirin and anti-inflammatory medicines like ibuprofen, Motrin, and Advil. These medicines increase your risk of developing bleeding ulcers. Instead, use one of the prescription anti-inflammatory medications: Celebrex, Vioxx or Bextra.

• Tests
• Diet
• Going back to work
• Birth control and pregnancy
• Support groups