As a general rule, patients who have undergone either open or laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery need to take 2 to 3 weeks off work for recovery (although some may take up to 6 weeks). Those who have had open surgery usually require more time. For those who have had gastric sleeve surgery, it may take 5 to 10 days before they can return to work. More complex procedures such as duodenal switch and gastric bypass typically require more time for healing and a longer period of rest.
It is also important to avoid any heavy lifting or strenuous physical activity for about four weeks after the surgery. This is to make sure that the surgical incisions do not open up while they are healing. Gastric bypass is a more complex weight-loss procedure, so people usually need more time to fully recover. Robert Rutledge, the inventor of the mini gastric bypass procedure, offers bariatric surgery at a lower cost to those who need it most.
Gastric plication procedures such as WRAP are less invasive and often have shorter recovery times compared to gastric sleeve surgery.
