Vitamins After Weight Loss Surgery

Why Vitamins?
After a weight loss operation, you will be eating smaller portions. Your body still needs its full daily requirement of vitamins and minerals, however. Plus, because certain nutrients (like calcium or iron) may not be well-absorbed after gastric bypass or duodenal switch, it is necessary to take additional supplements.

Each operation requires different supplements. And, each and every patient's nutritional requirements are different. Your surgeon and nutritionist will work closely with you to create a regimen that address your specific needs. These needs are not constant and may change over time.

The following guides are given as a rough overview of vitamin supplementation after weight loss surgery. These tables are for informational purposes only and are not intended to replace a personalized supplement plan from your nutritionist and surgeon!

Remember, weight loss surgery is a tool! Vitamins are only 1 aspect of how you need to care for yourself after surgery. It is also critically important to make sure that you are eating a healthy diet after weight loss surgery. To make sure that you are getting enough protein, vitamins, and minerals, you will need to meet with one of our team's nutritionists before and after surgery! To find out how to contact the nutritionists at the Mount Sinai Program for Surgical Weight Loss, please click here.

RNY Gastric Bypass
Once you are discharged from the hospital, you will be on a Stage II (pureed) diet. For the first 3 weeks you will need the following:

After your 3-week postoperative visit, you will probably be advanced to the following regimen

LAP-BAND®
The LAP-BAND® is a purely restrictive operation and does not result in any decreased absorption. For this reason the vitamin requirements are less than for a gastric bypass. For the first 3 weeks you will need the following:

After your 3-week postoperative visit, you will probably be advanced to the following regimen

Your bariatric team may suggest a calcium and/or iron supplement if needed.

Biliopancreatic DIversion with Duodenal Switch (BPD-DS)
The BPD-DS is a strongly malabsorptive operation, which means that you need to take more vitamins and supplements than with the other operations. Once you are discharged from the hospital, you will be on a Stage II (pureed) diet. For the first 3 weeks you will need the following:

After your 3-week postoperative visit, you will probably be advanced to the following regimen