A year after bariatric surgery, most massive weight loss patients only consume about 1,000 calories a day. This can cause serious complications if they choose to undergo body contouring procedures later.

Here’s why…

Body contouring procedures involve major surgery with sizeable incisions in many areas of the body. That means you’ll have a lot of healing to do.

But most bariatric patients aren’t meeting the standard recommendations for calorie, nutritional, or protein intake.

Without sufficient protein, vitamins A, B complex, C, iron, zinc and other nutrients, wounds can’t heal properly. Collagen production and immune response are also compromised.

According to a study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, wound healing problems and other complications occurred in over 65% of patients who didn’t receive nutritional supplements. But only 19% of patients had problems when they received nutritional supplements.

By reducing or eliminating nutritional deficiencies in bariatric patients, the healing process, wound tension, scar quality, and the patient’s energy level all got better.

The study showed that nutrition for massive weight loss patients should be supplemented with powder drinks and specially formulated multi-vitamin tablets before any body contouring surgical procedures are performed.