Gastric Bypass Surgery Support Group
Gastric bypass (GBP) is any of a group of similar operative procedures used to treat morbid obesity, a condition which arises from severe accumulation of excess weight in the form of fatty tissue, and the health problems ("co-morbidities") which result. If you are considering gastric bypass or have had it, join the community where we share our experiences and find support.
I love this group for all the support you give everyone who is going through this process.
I went from one program to another due to multiple reasons. I am now two weeks from having the surgery with Johns Hopkins. I keep forgetting to ask them a couple of question, but you all have been through this so I thought I would as you all.
How soon can you travel by air after the surgery?
If you have a really low number with your sleep apnea (7), do you really need to use the CPAP indefinitely? Does it make a significant difference?
thanks in advance for the wisdom
I went from one program to another due to multiple reasons. I am now two weeks from having the surgery with Johns Hopkins. I keep forgetting to ask them a couple of question, but you all have been through this so I thought I would as you all.
How soon can you travel by air after the surgery?
If you have a really low number with your sleep apnea (7), do you really need to use the CPAP indefinitely? Does it make a significant difference?
thanks in advance for the wisdom
I don't know if there is a specific number of weeks at which it is okay to fly. I know I was supposed to go on vacation (12 hour car ride) about 5 weeks out and my surgeon strongly discouraged it (concerned about blood clots). I do know most people are cleared for all activities at 8 weeks.
I had sleep apnea. Not a super-low number on my CPAP but not super-high, either. I had to lower the number within a month of surgery. I ditched the CPAP completely at about 3 months. Haven't needed it since!
JJ
When you can fly is going to be a particular thing between you and your surgeon, based on your specific health. I was okayed to drive at two weeks post op.
Personally, I was in need of a lot of rest post op, and it would have been difficult to travel until I was about 7 weeks out. By that time, I was back to work and becoming comfortable with my food plan and able to plan ahead. Planning food ahead was a completely new practice for me, so it was a huge learning curve for me.
I didn't have sleep apnea, so I can't speak to that.
I wish you all the best with your surgery. Be sure to take lip balm with you. For some reason, hospital air is very drying.... :)
I would ask your surgeon about the air travel. Since they fill your abdomen with gas to create space to work in, I would imagine you would want that gone before getting into a plane. Mine wasn't cleared out for a while. Also, surgery in general can create issues with blood clots and embolisms (spelling?) and such. Not sure what the risks are, ask the expert.
I still use my CPAP, but we dropped the pressure settings way down and I sleep better now than I did when I was thin and young. Many people on the site no longer need theirs at all, but apnea runs in my family, even if weight isn't an issue.
Good luck, and looking forward to hearing your updates in a couple of weeks.