What to Do at Home After Bariatric Surgery
Your discharge guide, all on one page. Medications, the liquid diet, fluid and protein goals, activity limits, and the symptoms that mean you should call us. Keep this open on your phone for the first six weeks.
You Go Home When Four Things Are True
You're walking safely
On your own, steady, without needing to be held up.
Fluids are going down
Sipping with good tolerance, no persistent nausea or vomiting.
The spirometer is working
You're using the incentive spirometer well and often.
Pain is controlled
Managed on what you'll be taking at home.
Your First Six Weeks, Step by Step
Tap any section to open it. Nothing here replaces the discharge paperwork you were sent home with, so follow that first if the two ever disagree.
01Medications & Supplements
Resume your usual home medications
Unless Dr. El Djouzi or a team member tells you otherwise, restart your regular home medications after discharge.
A few need to wait. Aspirin and certain blood thinners are the usual examples. If you were told to hold something, follow that instruction exactly.
How to take them for the first six weeks
- Crush tablets for six weeks, unless your team tells you otherwise.
- Mix the crushed medication into a small amount of applesauce or yogurt.
- If the taste is a problem, ask about switching temporarily to a liquid or a capsule.
Extended release medications
Extended release forms (ER, XR, SR) absorb unpredictably after bariatric surgery, especially after gastric bypass. Ask whoever prescribes it whether you should switch to a regular release version.
02Your Discharge Prescriptions
Nausea — ondansetron (Zofran ODT) 4 mg
- Take it at the first hint of nausea, not after it builds.
- Place it under your tongue and let it dissolve.
- Every four hours as needed is safe.
- Most patients only need it for the first few days.
Pain control
You'll usually go home with a liquid hydrocodone combination for short-term use. Take it only as needed, typically for the first couple of days, then switch to acetaminophen (Tylenol).
Liquid is easier early on. If you're using tablets, crush them. Follow the doses on your discharge paperwork.
Many hydrocodone combinations already contain acetaminophen. Don't add extra Tylenol on top unless you're certain you're staying under the daily maximum.
03Acid Reducer & Clot Prevention
Acid reducer (PPI)
A proton pump inhibitor lowers stomach acid while your staple line heals. Common ones are pantoprazole (Protonix), omeprazole (Prilosec), and lansoprazole (Prevacid). Take it exactly as prescribed.
Blood clot prevention, for some patients
Some patients go home on a blood thinner for a set number of days, usually those with a BMI over 50 or other clot risk factors. It's decided case by case. If you were prescribed one, take it exactly as instructed.
04Vitamins & Supplements
Bariatric multivitamin
Start within a few days of discharge and keep taking it long term. Depending on the brand it's one or two tablets a day, so follow the label on your specific product.
Calcium citrate with vitamin D
Also start within a few days of discharge, also long term.
- Aim for at least 1,500 mg of calcium a day in total.
- Choose calcium citrate. It absorbs better than carbonate after bariatric surgery.
- Vitamin D is usually included or paired with it. Follow the product instructions.
Not sure which product to buy? Bring your options to your first follow-up visit and we'll pick a simple plan with you.
05Diet After Discharge
Bariatric full liquid diet
Stay on full liquids until your first postoperative visit, usually about a week after surgery. The rule of thumb: if you can pour it, it fits this stage.
Go slowly. If something causes discomfort or nausea, pause and go back to gentle sips.
06Fluid & Protein Goals
Fluids — work toward 64 oz a day
Everything counts: water, broth, protein shakes. Most patients can't hit 64 ounces right away, and that's normal. Start where you can and build a little every day.
- Sip slowly and constantly rather than drinking a lot at once.
- Keep a bottle within reach all day.
- Track your ounces in a notes app or on paper.
Protein — 60 to 80 g a day
Usually through protein shakes or low-sugar, high-protein smoothies. Two shakes with 30 g each gets you to roughly 60 g. Like fluids, this can take a few days to reach. Keep moving toward it.
07Preventing Constipation
It's common early on
Pain medication and lower intake both slow things down.
- Start a daily stool softener such as MiraLAX unless you were told not to.
- MiraLAX is a powder, so mix it into a drink.
- Walking and staying hydrated help as much as the medication does.
Stop the stool softener and call the team.
08Activity & Restrictions
Walking is the one thing you shouldn't skip
Walk often to cut your risk of blood clots. Inside the house and outdoors, as much as you tolerate. Stairs are fine. Go slowly and use the handrail.
09The Abdominal Binder
What it's for
A binder supports your abdomen and makes walking and changing positions more comfortable. Every patient gets a basic one right after surgery, usually before leaving the operating room. It's supportive, not required.
When to wear it
- While walking and moving around.
- Loosen it significantly or take it off when you lie down.
- If it hurts, feels too tight, or makes nausea worse, don't wear it.
How long to use it
- There's no fixed timeline.
- Some patients stop during the hospital stay.
- Others keep using it at home for as long as it feels good.
- Wash it regularly. A second one to rotate is worth the money.
10Things to Avoid
These keep you comfortable and protect your new stomach.
11Showering & Incision Care
Showering
- You can shower right away with soap and water.
- No soaking in a bathtub for two weeks.
- Keep incisions clean and dry. Don't scrub them.
Call us if you notice
Redness that's spreading, warmth, swelling, foul drainage, or incision pain that's getting worse instead of better.
12Your Follow-Up Visits
Once a year, at the office, in person. That part doesn't change. Some patients need an extra visit in year two or year three for one reason or another, and we schedule those as they come up.
Once in a while, and it's rare, a patient needs more contact than this during the first year. Those extra check-ins can be virtual or in person, whichever fits. Your diet advances at the first visit and again around the six-week visit, so if those two aren't on your calendar, call or text 773-365-1300 and we'll get them booked.
13When to Call Us
Call the team if any of these show up. Don't wait to see if it passes.
- Nausea or vomiting that won't stop.
- You can't keep liquids down.
- Signs of dehydration: very dark urine, dizziness, barely urinating.
- Fever, especially over 101°F, or chills.
- Chest pain or shortness of breath.
- New calf pain, swelling, or redness.
- Abdominal pain that's getting worse instead of better.
- Incision problems: spreading redness, pus-like drainage, or a wound that's opening.
If symptoms are severe, go to the nearest emergency department. Don't wait for a callback.
Questions During Recovery
Call or text during work hours. If you need to schedule or move a follow-up visit, this is the fastest way to do it.
Not Sure Whether to Call?
Call. Every question on this page came from a patient who asked it first, and we would rather hear from you at hour one than at hour twenty.