How much water do you need post bariatric surgery?
If you’ve already had bariatric surgery, how much water did you drink post-op?
Typically, after bariatric surgery, patients are restricted to a minimal liquid diet for the first couple of days. Patients won’t be able to stomach more than an ounce of clear liquid at a time.
However, after your body starts to adjust to the changes, water is vital to patient recovery.
Through the months following bariatric surgery, patients need to pay close attention to their water intake; the human body needs 8 cups—a half gallon—everyday to remain healthy and out of the hospital.
Cheryl Williams, MS, RD, at Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut recently conducted a study, based on her knowledge of water intake for post-operation patients. “Preventing dehydration helps to improve the patient’s recovery, as well as decrease emergency room visits and hospital admissions,” she said.
After identifying dehydration as a problem for many bariatric patients, the nursing staff implemented restrictions on water containers. Patients received six 8-ounce bottles and one 1-ounce measuring cup during meals.
With these new policies in place, nurses could better monitor patient water intake.
Fluid intake is an important part of everyday life and is vital to speedy recovery. One of the most common reasons for bariatric patients to be readmitted is dehydration. Ms. Williams’ tracking method is a step in the right direction for monitoring patients’ hydration levels.
With the monitoring solutions put in place, currently, the average water intake of 102 patients is 1007 mL.
Jacquie Hyland, RN, MHA, the study coauthor and senior performance management specialist for Greenwich said, “By standardizing the intake and supplying and numbering the water bottles, this project was a great success in terms of being able to monitor how much the patients were drinking because you knew how many bottles they had.”
Hydration is a science.
Doctors and patients should be aware of hydration levels for post-bariatric operation patients because it is vital for recovery and health.
One bariatric patient experienced dehydration after surgery. Explaining her experience, she found, “Upon standing, I would black out. I experienced shaking, panic, and I couldn’t focus. Not taking in nearly enough liquids after surgery contributed to this very scary experience.”
Avoid scary experiences and keep yourself hydrated after surgery.
At University Bariatrics, we care about our patients and want to offer them the best aftercare possible. After your sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, revisional surgery, or gastric balloons be sure to stay healthy by keeping yourself hydrated.
We have many options to help our patients after their surgery, including
Whether you want to lose excess weight for health, appearance, or loved ones, we have you covered.
University Bariatrics is here to help you along your weight-loss journey.
Take the first steps towards weight loss. Visit https://www.universitybariatrics.com/ to discover more about your weight-loss options and what we offer for post-surgery support!