The Power of Progress: Measuring Success After Bariatric Surgery

It’s no secret that bariatric surgery is a great way to lose weight. While weight loss is a very important factor in tracking your progress after surgery, the numbers on your scale aren’t your only measure of success.

So how can we tell if your surgery has been successful?

While important, slimming down isn’t the only goal. We’re also here to improve your overall health and quality of life so that you feel better, not just now but well into your future.

Here we explain the metrics we use to measure the success of your weight loss surgery.

Weight Loss

As you know, the primary goal of bariatric surgery is to achieve significant weight loss, so this is the first metric used to measure success.

Before surgery, we’ll help you determine your ideal weight (based on your height and body type). Then we subtract your ideal weight from your pre-operative weight to find the number of excess kilograms you’re carrying.

Your weight loss surgery will be considered successful if you’re able to lose, and keep off, half of your excess weight.

With that said, some people find the idea of regular weigh-ins daunting. Following bariatric surgery, it’s common for the numbers on your scale to fall quickly at first, then slow down. It can be easy to get a little obsessed and to feel disappointed if the numbers aren’t what you’d like.

If the thought of the scale makes you uncomfortable, that’s ok. You don’t have to focus on the numbers, leave that bit to us.

You might prefer to track your weight loss using other measures like:

1. Decrease in body measurements - Remember you aren’t just losing kilograms, you’re also losing inches. You might like to record measurements of your waist, hips, thighs, chest, and arms and repeat the measurements monthly.
2. Progress photos - Some people appreciate a more visual representation of their weight loss. You could take a photo of yourself now, to compare with a photo in a month’s time. You might find motivation in seeing the physical changes in your body with your own eyes.
3. Changing clothing sizes - You might enjoy going down a notch on your belt or taking your dresses in a little. Feeling your clothes getting looser can be an exciting indicator of weight loss too.

Health Improvements

Being overweight or obese increases your risk of chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, sleep apnoea, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, so success can be measured by improvements in these conditions.

• Have you been able to decrease or completely come off your blood pressure medication?
• Are your joints feeling better?
• Are you getting more quality sleep?

Many people see significant improvement or even complete resolution in some pre-existing health conditions which is a very encouraging sign of success after surgery.

Increased Quality Of Life

While many think of weight loss as being a purely physical endeavour, this is not the case. In truth, obesity doesn’t only affect your physical well-being but your emotional and social well-being as well.

Bariatric surgery can help you reduce physical limitations, increase your mobility and improve your mental health. This is why one of the most exciting measurements of successful bariatric surgery is improvements to your well-being and overall quality of life.

• Do you have more energy?
• Are you moving more easily?
• Do you feel better about yourself?

Many of our patients find their weight loss allows more energy and less pain, meaning they can take up new activities and find enjoyment in things they’d never had the ‘get-up-and-go’ to even attempt before.

For many, this allows a greater sense of achievement, confidence, and satisfaction.

Long-term Weight Maintenance

Patients who maintain their weight loss over time are more likely to see long-term health benefits. This is why long-term weight maintenance is an important metric for measuring the success of bariatric surgery.

Unfortunately, some people regain some of their lost weight in the years following surgery.

To help patients avoid this we provide nutritional counselling and if necessary psychological counselling. We empower you to recognise your food triggers and make good food choices in the long term.

All patients are encouraged to maintain a healthy lifestyle and enjoy regular exercise to support them to maintain their weight loss long into their future.

Complication Rates

Finally, it's important to consider complication rates when measuring success.

While bariatric surgery is generally safe, it’s still a major surgery that carries some risks. We measure success by low complication rates and minimal adverse events after surgery.

How Can Dr Lockie Help?

Life after weight loss surgery involves a lot of change. While weight loss is an important goal, the benefits of bariatric surgery to your health and overall quality of life are also excellent indicators of success.

Dr Lockie and the team will be with you following your surgery to help you adjust to changes, track your progress, and celebrate your successes with you.

Read about those who have already taken the decision to have weight loss surgery and see what they have to say in their own words.

If you’d like to learn more about how bariatric surgery could help you, please book a free initial consultation today.

*All information is general and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Dr Phil Lockie can consult with you to confirm if a particular treatment is right for you. Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks.