Surgery is a big deal! It’s a big decision and it can be scary, but it’s also an opportunity to get your health back on track and change your life by losing weight and getting healthy. There are some concerns that come along with any surgery procedure, including post-surgical scar tissue and scar removal.
What to Expect While You Heal
Like other bariatric surgery procedures, the gastric sleeve is a restrictive, yet minimally invasive procedure. This means that it limits the amount of food that can be eaten, but does not restrict your ability to digest what you eat.
The surgery is performed laparoscopically, which means that small incisions are made in your abdomen so the surgeon can insert surgical instruments through them and operate on your organs. After the surgery, you will feel pain for about two weeks and may have some pain for several weeks afterward as scar tissue heals.
You will probably eat less post op, a goal that most bariatric surgeons want to achieve. And after the procedure is performed you will see small scars during the healing process. However, this does not mean they have to stay with you in the long term. You can always minimize scarring with different techniques.
How to Help Minimize Scars From Gastric Surgery
To help minimize scarring from weight loss surgery you should:
- Keep your scars moisturized. You can do this by applying a light coat of petroleum jelly or another moisturizer every day.
- Cover your healing scars with a bandage at night so they can do so properly. You might want to use an elastic bandage for this purpose, instead of conventional gauze. This material will not stick as much to the skin and can be removed more easily when the time comes.
- Clean out any dirt around the scabs using warm water and soap so that they don’t become infected and cause further scarring.
- Keep your wounds away from sunlight until they have been fully healed.
The Best Ways to Minimize the Appearance of Scars
- Use a scar cream. You can buy one at your local drugstore.
- Wear a silicone gel sheet. This can help reduce the appearance of your scars and also keep them moist, which helps with healing.
- Avoid the sun, especially if you’re using sunscreen on or around your scar area (which you should be doing anyway).
- Wear loose clothing whenever possible, especially when it comes to shirts that have small parts that could rub against your scar tissue and irritate it further. The same goes for pants—if they’re too tight around the waistband or in the crotch area, they might cause more irritation.
This Is Your Time!
Hopefully, we’ve helped you understand the process of scarring and how you can minimize your scars. It is a big thing to go through, so our team is here to walk you through every part of the process!
