How many pounds can someone expect to lose after surgery, and how long does it take to achieve the desired weight loss?
A. Every person’s weight loss experience is different. As a rule of thumb, the heavier the patient, the more weight they are likely to lose. Most patients can expect to lose two-thirds of their excess weight. Most of that weight loss will occur within the first 18 months. That loss is almost always followed by a slight weight gain while the body is stabilizing, and is followed by another period of weight loss. Losing the weight is only part of the picture, however. The difficulty can be in keeping it off. That is where gastric bypass surgery has proven to be so effective. Five years after surgery, 95% of all patients have maintained a loss of more than 50% of their excess weight. Keep in mind that on average, with a traditional diet-based weight loss program, only about 1% of morbidly obese persons maintain their weight loss at that level.
