Can You Take Bariatric Vitamin Patches After Surgery?
A lot of people wonder, “Are vitamin patches for bariatric patients okay?” After all, liquid vitamins are recommended after bariatric surgery to help you heal faster and absorb nutrients. However, multivitamin capsules typically aren’t suggested until around seven months after surgery.
However, every surgeon or location has their own protocols. You should ultimately consult with your doctor to understand the best options for your situation. But, in this article, let’s cover whether vitamin patches after bariatric surgery are suggested, specifically.
Learn More: Foods To Stay Away From After Weight Loss Surgery
The Benefits Of Vitamins After Weight Loss Surgery
Bariatric multivitamins help you get additional nutrients that your body may not be able to absorb or get by other means. After all, many times you’ll be on a special diet that restricts what you’re allowed to eat.
Taking vitamins can help you improve your energy levels, heart health, immune system, and more. It can even help you with your ligament and skin health. Of course, this goes to collagen and healing as well. For this reason, supplementation is incredibly effective after weight loss surgery, and that’s why most surgeons recommend it.
Gastric Bypass Vitamin Patches
Vitamin patches for bariatric surgery work by penetrating the pores of your skin. From here, they transport nutrients into your bloodstream. For getting certain nutrients like magnesium, this is fairly effective.
However, for most vitamins and minerals, this is not ideal. Particularly, vitamin K, vitamin B12, and vitamin A are too large molecularly to pass through the skin’s pores and be absorbed.
The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) says that vitamin A and B12 are deficiencies that bariatric patients experience the most, and therefore a vitamin patch simply wouldn’t be adequate.
Therefore, at Ascension St. Agnes, we do not suggest vitamin patches. Contact our offices to understand alternatives that may help you get the nutrients that you need after your procedure.
Summary
Getting bariatric surgery in Maryland means you will be able to reduce your food intake by reducing hunger. You may also not be able to absorb nutrients at the level you did before. Therefore, since you have vitamin and mineral deficiencies, you’ll need to supplement this nutrition somehow.
Reach out to Ascension Saint Agnes for information on the best practices when it comes to recovering from your weight loss procedure. It’s time to discover a lighter you.