Life and follow-up after obesity surgery

Long-term follow-up

At the Centre, check-ups are frequent in the first year, then every six months from the second year onwards, for life. These consultations combine medical and dietary follow-up; tests are prescribed according to your operation and your results. This follow-up is covered by basic (compulsory) health insurance¹.

Did you have your operation elsewhere, or has your follow-up stopped? You can resume it at the Centre at any time. Where possible, your original centre remains the first choice for continuity of follow-up. Check-ups can also be shared with your doctor, provided the results are passed on².

1. First yearClose follow-up.
2. From the second yearEvery six months.
3. Over the long termLifelong follow-up, with check-ups adapted to your needs.

Vitamins, minerals and blood tests

Vitamin and mineral supplements must be taken for life, after a gastric bypass as well as after a sleeve³. They are prescribed according to your operation and your blood test results. Regular blood tests screen for deficiencies, which may cause no symptoms for years: vitamins B1, B12 and D, iron, calcium, protein⁴. Do not stop them without medical advice, even if you feel well.

Tell every doctor and your pharmacist about your operation. After a gastric bypass, the absorption of some medicines can change², and anti-inflammatory drugs increase the risk of ulcers⁵: ask for advice before taking them.

Diet, physical activity and well-being

Dietary support continues after the operation to adapt your diet over the long term. Physical activity and well-being are part of the follow-up: Nutrition, Adapted physical activity.

Thanks to our partnership with Clinique La Lignière, physical rehabilitation can begin very soon after the operation: see Getting active again after the operation.

Psychological support and alcohol

Losing weight changes your relationship with your body, with food and with other people. Psychological support can be offered according to your needs³. After the operation, alcohol acts faster and more strongly: particular care is needed, and any change in how much you drink is worth talking about³.

Planning a pregnancy

A pregnancy should be planned with the team: it is recommended to wait until your weight and nutritional status have stabilised, usually twelve to eighteen months after the operation³. Discuss contraception before the operation: after a gastric bypass, the pill is less reliable and another method is preferable^{6, 7}. Closer follow-up is planned during pregnancy⁷.

If your weight goes back up

Some weight regain is possible, sometimes years later. It is addressed without judgement, and the earlier it is treated, the more options there are: Weight regain: understanding it and taking action.

If there is a problem

After a sleeve, acid reflux may appear or get worse⁸: it is monitored during follow-up, and an endoscopy may be offered. The warning signs that mean you should call without delay, and the useful contacts, are listed on the page Hospital stay and return home. In a life-threatening emergency, call 144 (emergency medical services).

Further reading

• Obesity, pregnancy and planning a baby
• Preserving your muscles and regaining strength

Frequently asked questions

Why continue follow-up when everything is going well?

Because some deficiencies cause no symptoms for years, and a problem spotted early is easier to treat. Check-ups also make it possible to adjust your supplements and your treatment.

What next?

Medical review of the French version: Dr Pierre Fournier

Scientific sources and references

Sources accessed on 12 October 2026. Reimbursement rules and information on medicines change over time.

1. Office fédéral de la santé publique (OFSP). Annexe 1 de l’ordonnance sur les prestations de l’assurance des soins (OPAS), edition of 1 July 2026: chapters 1.1 and 2.1. View source
2. Swiss Society for the Study of Morbid Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (SMOB). Directives pour le traitement chirurgical de l’obésité, in force from 1 July 2023 (in French). View source
3. Gerber PA, Collet TH, Favre L, et al. Swiss obesity clinical practice guidance. Swiss Med Wkly. 2026;156:5415. View source
4. IFSO-EC, version adopted by the SMOB. La prise en charge en urgence du patient opéré de chirurgie métabolique et bariatrique (poster for emergency departments), 2026. View source
5. American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Literature review on risk factors, screening recommendations, and prophylaxis for marginal ulcers after metabolic and bariatric surgery. 2024. View source
6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. U.S. medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use, 2024: history of bariatric surgery. View source
7. Groupe spécialisé bariatrique de l’Association suisse des diététicien·ne·s (ASDD/SVDE). Guidelines for pregnancy after bariatric surgery, 2019 (document distributed by the SMOB). View source
8. Kraljevic M, Süsstrunk J, Wölnerhanssen BK, et al. Long-term outcomes of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass vs laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for obesity: the SM-BOSS randomized clinical trial. JAMA Surg. 2025;160(4):369-377. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2024.7052. View source