WEIGHT LOSS IN THE FIRST MONTH POST-GASTROPLASTY FOLLOWING DIET PROGRESSION WITH INTRODUCTION OF SOLID FOOD THREE WEEKS AFTER SURGERY

BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery is an effective tool in treating severe obesity. It provides significant weight loss in morbidly obese people accompanied by improvement in comorbidities and quality of life. AIM: To investigate the weight loss outcomes in the first month after bariatric surgery after introduction of solids three weeks postoperatively. METHODS: Thirty-two charts of patients who underwent bariatric surgery were analyzed at a private nutritional clinic in São Sebastião do Paraíso, MG, Brazil; 93,75% of the subjects underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and 6,25% vertical gastrectomy. The subjects were 16 to 60 years. A body mass index of 30 to 69 Kg/m(2) was obtained. Patients were instructed to eat small amounts several times a day, eat slowly, chew foods thoroughly, substitute sugar for sweetener, stop drinking gassy beverages, set the utensils down in between meals, drink only in between meals, avoid processed condiments and fried and greasy foods. RESULTS: In the first month after surgery, the mean weight loss was 9,7% and the percentage of excess weight loss was 23,9%. It was found that there was significant statistical difference in relation to initial and final weight (p=0,00; p<0,05). CONCLUSION: This protocol provides more freedom of choice in health care once one does not have to go on food intake modifications for more than three weeks; more nutritional guidelines is followed and prospective weight loss is presented.