Have you gained weight or experienced a lot of fluid retention after undergoing hernia surgery? There are many reasons for sudden weight gain, but one of the major factors is recent surgery. This sudden or eventual weight gain often happens in the follow-up period.
Even if your hernia is repaired by a laparoscopic surgery procedure, it can add extra pounds to your body. Gut care, in this article, will discuss weight gain after hernia surgery and what you do about it.
What Causes Weight Gain After Hernia Surgery?
Do not worry if your weight increases after the hernia repair. You just need to figure out the exact cause of the various causes that are mentioned below.
1. Water Retention
Water retention is medically known as post-operative edema. It is one of the major reasons for weight gain after hernia repair.
Edema is swelling that is caused by a fluid accumulation between the tissues of the body. Post-hernia surgery tissue injury results in shifts of fluids, leading to the accumulation of fluid in the interstitial space which is the space between the organs in your body.
2. Stress
Stress can trigger hormonal imbalances, which can result in weight gain. And stress for longer periods burdens the adrenal glands and causes them to secrete more of the cortisol hormone.
It is found that surgery-related stress increases both cortisol and antidiuretic hormone (ADH) secretion. Increased ADH levels may disturb your kidney functioning and cause water retention.
3. Trauma
Trauma results from a disturbing experience that overwhelm an individual’s ability to cope, and causes feelings of helplessness. Surgical trauma can lead to metabolic, immunological, and endocrine changes.
Post-surgery trauma creates a hormonal imbalance which leads to the malfunctioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Studies found that women with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) tend to gain extra weight and are at a higher risk of becoming overweight or obese.
4. Rest
Post-hernia surgery recovery requires sufficient rest. However, low physical activity and complete rest can slow down your body’s basal metabolic rate (BMR), which may result in excess weight.
Energy expenditure is directly related to your Body Mass Index (BMI), Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) which leads to weight gain. Therefore, hernia surgery experts suggest starting with slow physical activity after the recovery to revamp your body’s metabolism.
5. Diet
Diet is one of the major factors to consider after an abdominal hernia repair. To stay healthy after surgery, it is important to follow a proper and healthy diet plan that includes fruits, vegetables, protein, dairy, and whole grains.
And a diet with plenty of water and fiber can help prevent constipation, reducing the chance of developing a hernia. It is also important to avoid high-sugar and high-fat foods which slows down your metabolism and makes you feel bloated.
Precautions To Minimize Post – hernia surgery Weight Gain
We know that we tend to gain weight after hernia repair (especially in the recovery stage). Gaining 5 to 6 pounds is quite normal, but, anything beyond that may lead to long-term complications.
Below are precautions that can prevent this from happening:
- Start to move around. Do not rush to the gym immediately after your inguinal hernia surgery. Just keep yourself active by moving around as it helps improve your metabolism.
- Practice some stretching exercises for better blood circulation. Rotate your ankles in a clockwise and anticlockwise direction to prevent edema in the lower extremities.
- Consume a healthy diet and do not indulge overindulge in high-sugar or high-fat foods.
Do not worry about weight gain after hernia surgery. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is key to shedding those extra pounds and keeping yourself fit and healthy.
To know more about post-hernia surgery weight gain, consult our hernia treatment experts at the Gut care clinic, Bangalore.
