Recovering From Hernia Surgery: What You Need to Know

Your hernia surgery is usually performed using laparoscopic or robot-assisted surgical techniques. These minimally invasive strategies lead to faster healing and less noticeable scarring, but that doesn’t mean you can skip recovery time.

Your hernia may be located in your abdomen, bellybutton, upper thigh, or groin. Recovery from surgery to any of these areas is similar. You get full discharge instructions before you go home, but knowing about recovery in advance of surgery can help you prepare yourself about what to expect as you heal. You also want to heed precautions so you can return to normal activity as soon as possible.

Recovery is different for everyone. Always contact us at Trinity Bariatric Institute if you have excessive soreness or the signs of an infection. You may need a little more or less recovery time, depending on your body’s rate of healing and the type of surgery you experienced.

Right after surgery

Following laparoscopic or robotic hernia surgery, you can expect minimal pain at the incision sites as they’re rather small. Most of the discomfort you experience is due to the distention of the abdominal wall muscles caused by the gas used during the procedure.

You might experience cramping and discomfort for about 24-48 hours, but this quickly subsides so that you’re back to most of your normal activities within a week or two of surgery.

Return to work

Because the procedure requires the use of general anesthesia, expect to take a couple days off from work following surgery. It’s common to have lingering effects for 24-48 hours after you received the anesthesia. The effects of the anesthesia can impair concentration and your ability to drive.

Whether you can return fully to your job depends on your duties. If you have an active job or one that requires heavy lifting, you need to take more time off than if you have a job that’s sedentary. Discuss your particular situation with Dr. Dyslin, and he can make individualized recommendations for you.

Having sex again

You can resume normal sexual activity as soon as it causes no pain. This could take just a few days up to a few weeks, depending on your hernia location and the type of surgery you underwent. Some discomfort may occur when you first resume relations, but sex shouldn’t cause harm to your surgical repair.

Diet recommendations

Following hernia repair surgery, consume lots of high-fiber foods — such as fruits and vegetables — as well as plenty of fluid to avoid constipation, which can develop due to pain medications and inactivity. You may need a laxative or stool softener to get things moving.

Resuming normal activity

In about two weeks following laparoscopic hernia surgery, most people can return to regular lifting. Some activities may continue to cause you discomfort, however. As time goes by, you’ll notice this discomfort occurs with less and less frequency.

If you have any concerns during recovery from hernia surgery, or you don’t feel like you’re recovering as quickly as you should, call our office or contact us online. We’re available to answer any questions you have before or after hernia surgery.

Understanding How the Gastric Balloon Works to Help You Lose Weight

If you’re overweight or obese and conventional dieting and exercise just haven’t worked for you, a gastric balloon may be an option. This balloon is placed in your stomach during a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure. The process of getting a balloon isn’t quite surgery, but it has the effect of shrinking your stomach temporarily so you eat less and lose weight.

At Trinity Bariatric Institute, we can help you determine whether this balloon procedure is the right step in your weight loss journey.

How the balloon works

The gastric balloon is swallowed in the office with a series of 3 balloons over a 6 week period. There is a thin tubing attached to the balloon and a hitch is used to inflate each balloon with a dense gas once it is swallowed. Once all three balloons are in place they fill up the stomach, giving you a sense of fullness and less hunger!

The balloon remains in your stomach for about six months, long enough to help you create healthier habits that continue to support weight loss after the balloon is removed. Because your stomach is smaller (the balloon takes up space), it holds less food. You get full faster with smaller portions, thus taking in fewer calories.

Dr. Dyslin does the procedure on an outpatient basis, so you go home the same day. Usually, you’re heavily sedated for the balloon placement, but not placed under general anesthesia.

Candidates for a gastric balloon

Dr. Dyslin may recommend a gastric balloon if you’re classified as obese, with a BMI (body mass index) of 30-40. In some cases, your BMI may be as low as 27 if you have chronic conditions aggravated by your weight. These include diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea.

To qualify for the balloon, you should also be able to commit to making healthy lifestyle changes in conjunction with the balloon procedure. Lifestyle changes include increased physical activity, dietary changes, and behavioral therapy.

You can’t have prior stomach surgery or esophageal surgery if you want to be a candidate for balloon placement.

Benefits of a gastric balloon

A gastric balloon is a less drastic procedure than bariatric surgery, such as bypass or sleeve surgery. It’s temporary and reversible. Even if you aren’t eligible for other weight loss surgeries, we may find that you’re the perfect candidate for a gastric balloon.

If you opt for the balloon, your appetite is automatically curbed because your smaller stomach size means you get full on less food. You won’t need additional medications to help you lose weight when you have the balloon.

Diet following gastric balloon placement

You start drinking small amounts of liquid in the six hours following balloon placement. You continue to follow a liquid diet for about two weeks as your stomach adjusts to the balloon. Following this liquid diet, you can start eating soft foods, such as scrambled eggs and bananas. Around week three, your diet can resume a regular pattern.

It’s important that you carefully consider the foods you choose following gastric balloon placement. Since you’re eating less, the foods you do choose should be of the highest nutritional quality. We can help you create a meal plan that supports weight loss, your smaller appetite, and good health.

At Trinity Bariatric Institute, we want to help you lose weight safely and for good. Call our office or schedule a consultation to learn more about the gastric balloon and other interventions that may be appropriate for you.

How to Know When Sleeve Gastrectomy Is the Right Option For Weight Loss

You’ve tried diets. You’ve tried exercise. You’ve tried medical support for weight loss. Still, you have a lot of weight to lose to achieve good health.

At Trinity Bariatric Institute, Dr. David Dyslin is ready to help when you’re considering an operation to address obesity. Gastric sleeve surgery is an option in which Dr. Dyslin removes the outer 85% of the stomach, leaving a long narrow stomach, which reduces the amount someone is able to eat and reduces hunger.

Your stomach is about one-tenth the size of its original, so you eat much less and still feel full. With the surgery, part of your stomach that releases hunger hormones is also removed.

Consider gastric sleeve surgery if you find any of the following affects you.

Your BMI is at least 40

BMI, or body mass index, is a calculation based on your height and weight. A BMI of 25-29 is considered overweight. A BMI of 30 or greater is obese. A BMI of 40 is significantly overweight — usually at least 100 pounds or more over a healthy size.

You have serious health issues associated with obesity

Obesity can lead to inflammation in your body and heighten your risk of chronic disease. If you have issues including high blood pressure, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and infertility associated with your weight, a sleeve gastrectomy can be a quick solution for weight loss that may just save your life.

You’ve been told you’re too obese or sick for gastric bypass

Gastric bypass surgery is a more complex procedure that may put some very obese people in danger due to possible complications. A sleeve gastrectomy is simpler, meaning it poses less of a risk to the patient: you.

After the surgery and the subsequent weight loss, you may then be a candidate for gastric bypass.

You’re concerned about nutritional status

In other weight loss surgeries, your intestines may be rerouted, potentially affecting how your body absorbs food. With sleeve gastrectomy, your intestines aren’t affected at all — so you don’t have to worry about your body absorbing essential nutrients to support healing and good health.

You’re ready for a permanent solution

A sleeve gastrectomy is a permanent solution to obesity. About 85% of your stomach is removed and can’t be restored. With other options, such as gastric banding, you have the option of reversing the surgery. A sleeve gastrectomy comes with a high success rate. You can expect to lose about 60% of your excess weight on average over 12-18 months. That means, on average, if you are 100 pounds overweight, you would lose 60 pounds!

You’re psychologically and physically prepared for surgery

When you’re ready to take a major step and commit to a new way of eating and living, gastric sleeve surgery is right for you. Dr. Dyslin evaluates your commitment to ensure surgery is the right step for you.

Physically, you need to be healthy enough to tolerate general anesthesia and the healing process. You must not be a smoker, as this can delay healing and cause other health complications during and after surgery.

A sleeve gastrectomy is a valid option for weight loss for many obese people. Consult Dr. Dyslin to find out if it’s right for you. Call today or arrange an appointment using this website.