Nutritional management after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Changes in the anatomy and function of the gastrointestinal tract after bariatric surgery markedly change patients' eating patterns. Malnutrition is a significant risk associated with all bariatric procedures, which can lead to dangerous nutritional deficiencies. However, if correct patient selection is conducted and if patients receive thorough preoperative nutrition education and postoperative nutritional follow-up, these deficiencies are largely preventable. Nurses are important members of the multidisciplinary team; assisting in patient selection, providing hands-on care, and educating the patient on the surgical process and post-operative dietary restrictions. It is critical for nurses to understand immediate and projected nutritional consequences of surgery, in order to monitor the patient for diet tolerance and nutrient deficiency symptoms, to encourage dietary compliance, and to reinforce the long-term dietary restrictions. With appropriate supplementation and patient compliance, all nutritional deficiencies can be avoided or corrected.