Weight loss after surgery

[Avery]

I had my bladder removed on Oct 29/20 along with a total hysterectomy, lymph nodes etc. Have lost about 19 lbs since pre-op weight 4 days before. How much weight is normal to lose after this surgery? I am not back to normal eating yet but somewhat depending on the day. Appetite seems to be normal although portions are much smaller. I have the ileal conduit. Thanks…. Avery

• This topic was modified 4 years, 2 months ago by Jack Moon.

[marysue]

Hi Avery:

I can’t tell you exactly how many pounds are normal for this surgery since I haven’t had my bladder removed but I did have a hysterectomy in 2002.  Because of complications, I didn’t start to eat solid food for nearly a week.  I lost about 20 lbs.  My appetite at that time took about 2 weeks to come back and like you I ate smaller portions for a time  It took me about 3-4 months to gain the weight back and a few extra which at the time was okay because I was underweight.

When I was running the Calgary in person support group, members that went through the RC surgery seemed to lose anywhere between 15-30 lbs depending on how soon they were able to resume eating and whether they had any complications post op.

As long as you are eating to the best of your ability and eat as healthy as you can, you should be fine and should gain the weight back soon.  If you are concerned about calorie intake but can’t manage larger portions yet, I suggest checking with your doctor to see if it would be okay for you to add Boost or Ensure or shakes/smoothies to your diet if you haven’t already done so. You can add a lot of calories this way without putting the extra stress on your digestive tract. It is the extra calories that will help you put the weight back on. I did drink a lot of Ensure for the first 4-6 weeks post op. It really helped especially for the days I felt a bit blah. Once you are eating well and if you are still losing weight instead of gaining it back, that is something to bring up with your doctor and/or surgeon. Hope this helps.  Wishing you a continued good recovery.  ((((HUGS))))

[Avery]

Thank you Marysue. I guess my weight loss is pretty normal considering it wasn’t just the bladder but all the other organs as well. I seem to have levelled off finally. Will continue to monitor….Avery

[marysue]

Hi Avery:

That is true.  Body organs that are removed add to the weight loss. I think we women have more organ body weight loss with this surgery than the guys. I’m guessing but I think our uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes weigh more than the guy’s prostate. It would be interesting to know what the weight of those organs combined is. We also lose body fluids and blood.   After surgery, I do believe hormones especially for women can go wacky for a bit and may also play a factor with our metabolism.

Back in 1988, I had my gall bladder removed.  There was myself, my room mate and the two ladies in the room next to us that all had the same surgery.  Myself and one lady next door came on our periods right after the surgery even though it wasn’t that time of the month.  The nurse at that time told me that our bodies go into shock after a general anesthetic and it takes time for the body systems to right themselves so this was not unusual.  I lost weight after that surgery too and I’m convinced it was not all surgery related.  My body righted itself the next month and by then I was gaining back the lost weight (about 10 lbs that time).

Time will heal you.  It is hard to be patient with the healing process.  We all want to be better right now and not have to slow down. Best wishes for a continued and speedy recovery.  ((((HUGS))))

[Jenni]

I had my RC with complete hystectomy in Sept 2019 and now have an iliac conduit. Like you Avery, I lost weight, 22lbs after the surgery and continued for a few months but then, my appetite was practically non existent.

I hope you’ve made a good recovery.

Jenni

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