They will be seen back in the office for skin staple removal about one week after discharge. BUT the medical side is not the whole story. On the practical side, patients sometimes need another 2-3 weeks before they feel up to work and other activities. There is of course some persistent discomfort from the big upper midline incision, or there can be a surprising amount of persistent discomfort from the laparoscopic incisions. Perhaps more importantly, the body takes several weeks to adjust to the dramatic calorie reduction it is experiencing.
Patients often feel dramatically fatigued, and sometimes also emotionally brittle or irritable.
For more on this situation look at the section on hibernation syndrome on the Side Effects page. Hibernation syndrome can be avoided or minimized by starting regular exercise as soon as possible after surgery. In any case, usually by 4-5 weeks following Gastric Bypass the patient is through the rough times and has lost enough weight to begin to experience the increased energy from having less stress on the body overall. The practical side described above is the reason we advise our patients to plan for a month away from work or other essential activities. As a last word, we simply advise patients not to get locked into a work commitment they may not be able to keep.