What Are The Benefits of Losing Weight Before Weight Loss Surgery?

Sometimes people think we may be crazy for talking to them about weight loss before weight loss surgery. They say, “Well, isn’t that what the surgery is supposed to do?”  However, we do encourage and often require weight loss prior to surgery.  Below are the top 2 reasons why we encourage or require weight loss prior to weight loss surgery.

First, losing weight lowers your risk of having surgery. In fact, losing even 10 pounds shrinks your liver and makes the surgery safer to perform. What does that mean?  You see, the liver stores fat and is one of the first places you lose fat from when you lose weight. So, although 10 pounds may not seem like a lot, a large portion of this weight loss comes from your liver.  In fact, surgeons have had scenarios where after an operation begins, due to the thickness and size of the liver, they cannot safely move it out of the way.  As a result, they may need to cancel the surgery.  Thus, it is very important from the surgeon’s standpoint as well as for your optimal outcome that you lose weight prior to surgery.

Second, if you lose weight before surgery, you will generally have a quicker recovery and smoother transition into weight loss after surgery.  This pre-surgery weight loss really sets the tone and prepares you for the types of dietary restrictions and lifestyle modifications that you will need to maintain for optimal success.

So, one way you can think about that is weight loss tends to positively impact your mindset since you have seen some success and experienced some of the required nutritional dietary changes.  Your motivation is higher and you feel accomplished before you even start. In fact, at MIIS Weight Loss Institute, our team is with you every step of the way on your weight loss journey, before, during and after surgery.

In summary, losing weight before weight loss surgery makes surgery safer, it makes weight loss more effective and prepares you for the journey ahead.

If you are ready to learn more and get started on your journey, feel free to reach out to us directly.