How to overcome constipation after gastric sleeve surgery?

How to overcome constipation after gastric sleeve surgery?

As you may know, there are some known side effects and complications after all types of surgeries including cosmetic or medical surgeries that may lead to some difficulties for the patients.

Gastric sleeve surgery as other surgeries may have some side effects and complications for the patients. The most common side effect is constipation.

Constipation is one of the most popular side effects between the patients that have performed gastric sleeve surgery.

Unfortunately, the patients get stress and scared too much when they see the initial sign of constipation and they think it means the surgery was not successful. But it is not true at all.

If you think constipation means the failure of the gastric sleeve surgery, please read this article carefully because we are going to explain this complication of the procedure and answer to all of your questions that may circle in your mind and causes to lose your composure.

First of all, we prefer to explain this complication and define all reasons that may lead to constipation after the surgery.

What is constipation?

Constipation means not to have a bowel movement and defecation for a week or more so if it takes just one or two days, it does not means constipation.

• gastric sleeve surgery complications and side effects

What causes constipation?

Constipation is not a huge and unsolvable issue and if you know the causes of constipation after sleeve gastrectomy, you can prevent or if you got infected, you can treat and manage it easily.

• Lack of sufficient fluid intake:

Constipation may occur for many times in our life if we don’t drink enough water and liquids during the day.

• Lack of exercise:

Usually after a surgery, most patients prefer to rest and sleep in the bed and not to walk and act due to the drowsiness of medicines that are used after the surgery. So the lack of movement and activity leads to constipation.

• Lack of food:

After any surgery, most people suffer from pains. In other words, the lack of movement leads to decreased or lost appetite so it is common not to eat well. So when enough foods do not enter to the stomach, there are not any feces to going out.

• The side effects of supplements and medications

Using anesthetic medicines during gastric sleeve surgery and tacking some analgesics or supplements such as calcium or iron, diuretics and muscle relaxants after the surgery may result in constipation.

• Lack of fiber in meals

The fibers includes lots of water and by consuming enough fiber, we can refresh our intestines and prevent constipation.

How we can prevent the constipation

By description of constipation in this article, you have understood and noticed the practical solutions to prevent constipation which we mention them here shortly:

• Increase your fluid intake during the first days after operation:

As we mentioned prior, the bowel movements are related to enough fluid intake which helps bowels to move easily. In other words, enough fluid intakes help the intestine to be refreshed. For this reason, most specialist recommend the patients to drink at least 2 liters’ water or fluids without coffee and sugar after the first days of sleeve weight loss surgery.

• Increase the exercises and activities:

Most of time doing exercises plays the positive role in improvement and treatment of all disease. Constipation is no exception. Exercise forces the bowel to move and prevent constipation. So after sleeve surgery it is better to walk in the hospitals corridor and don’t stay in the bed for a long time.

• Diet:

You may become constipated if you don’t eat enough and large amounts of soft foods. Because some foods as oats, sugar-free apple juice, baked potatoes, bran cereal, whole grains or unsweetened mashed prunes, carnitine and kefir include water and fiber that they help the bowel to move easily. Therefore, doctors recommend the patients to increase fiber intake to avoid bloating and intestinal gas. Also the patients should avoid some foods such as bananas, cheese, rice, potatoes and peanuts as they increase the probability of constipation, bloating and intestinal gas.

• Choosing appropriate medications after the operation:

Calcium carbonate consumption usually increases the probability of constipation, because digestion of calcium carbonate is very difficult after the operation. The patient can benefit from calcium nitrate instead of calcium carbonate, or taking supplements combined with a 2-to-1 ratio of calcium to magnesium, which leads to the softer bowel movements.

• Avoid caffeine:

You may not believe the effect of caffeine consumption on constipation formation. Because caffeine causes dehydration and spasms in digestive system, so the patient should stay away from foods and drinks that contain caffeine, such as coffee, tea, energy drinks and chocolate.

Final recommendation:

During 90 days after gastric sleeve surgery, constipation is common but more than this time is not acceptable. So if constipation lasts longer than 90 days, the patients should visit a doctor. It is recommended not to take many laxatives and enemas for constipation treatment. Because your body begin to depend on them and maybe never ever can work without them. And on the other hand, heavy use of laxatives can cause diarrhea. So you should avoid arbitrary laxatives and enemas.

TEBMEDTOURISM Co. is a healthcare facilitator that provides best services to foreign patients and causes pride for Iran.

If you are going to perform gastric sleeve surgery or you performed in the past and now you are suffering from side effects, don’t heisted to contact our medical consultants to ask all your questions.

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