Importance of consulting a registered dietitian before and after bariatric surgery

George John
Sep 3, 2018 · 3 min read

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of patients undergoing obesity surgery across the globe. As more and more individuals are becoming medically eligible for laparoscopic bariatric surgery, dietetic practitioners need to address more patients at every stage after their surgery. Typically, the surgical procedure is just a single point in the continuum of care required by a bariatric patient. Long-term weight loss success primarily relies on the patient’s adherence to specific dietary and physical activities for their lifetime. Which is why it is crucial for patients to undergo counselling, both before and after the surgery, to prepare themselves for the significant changes in their routine. Other than counselling, bariatric patients need a registered dietitian to help them focus on achieving a healthier lifestyle. On that note, let’s move on to understanding who a dietitian is and what role does he/she play in a bariatric patient’s life.

Any registered dietitian is an expert in food and nutrition. Diet constitutes80% of the weight loss battle due to which bariatric patients cannot afford to outrun their forks. This is when a dietitian comes to their rescue to educate them about sound nutritional habits and to develop diets as per the individual needs of a patient following the weight loss surgery. They also supervise the food prepared for their clients to ensure that their weight loss is well-managed.

Pre-operative counselling

Whether patients undergoobesity surgery in India or elsewhere, most bariatric centerswill provide them with a registered dietitian to guide them through every phase of their weight loss journey. Before the surgery, the dietitian will counsel patients and prepare them for the long-term lifestyle and diet changes that they must implement. This is done to make sure that patients are able to maintain their weight loss successfully after the surgery. Dietitians help patients adopt basic healthful changes in their diet before the surgery so that their body and mind is well-prepared for the future dramatic changes in their routine.Instead of introducing complex concepts like calorie counting, dietitians focus on explaining fundamental nutritional concepts, such as how to prepare nutritious meals and what kind of food should go onto their plates.

Basically, dietitians use preoperative nutritional counselling as a means to give patients a realistic look at their life post the surgery. This helps bariatric patients overcome the challenges of drastically reducing their portion size, dealing with unpredictable and intolerable food cravings, and developing a regular workout regime.

Post-operative counselling

Here the dietitian mainly addresses issues regarding food intolerances, adequacy of the diet in meeting fundamental nutritional needs, barriers to implementing healthy eating habits, adherence to mineral and vitamin supplementation, etc.Additionally, dietitians will also address any unique questions or concerns that the patient might have regarding their weight loss management program. Most patients undergo an extremely emotional phase post the surgery. Which is why even the smallest of changes in their lifestyle is encouraged by the dietitian to serve as a platform for further improvement and to help them circumvent any feelings of disappointment or failure. Regular dietitian follow-ups are a must for patients undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery to ensure that they do not deviate from their weight loss goal.

A dietitian is a crucial member in the weight loss journey of any bariatric patient. They are valuable because nutrition is criticalto the long-term success of weight loss surgery. Therefore, patients must be honest with them about their concerns, progress, and hopes, in order to achieve fruitful results. If you wish to undergo weight loss surgery Mumbai has several renowned dietitians who can help you in every stage of your weight loss journey.