Bariatric nutrition in Medellín
Consultation from COP 185,000 to COP 280,000, in person or by telehealth
Surgery makes the stomach smaller; what you eat before and after is also part of the treatment. Bariatric nutrition prepares you with the pre-op diet, guides you through each eating phase, makes sure you get enough protein and adjusts the vitamins your technique requires. At MDE Care we connect you with nutrition specialists in bariatric surgery and coordinate your follow-ups, remotely too if you live outside Medellín.
2 to 4 wk.
of pre-op diet
5 phases
of eating afterward
60 g
of protein a day, at a minimum
1 to 3 months
between follow-ups
Also by telehealth
if you live outside Medellín
Your eating plan based on your surgery and the week you are in
Choose your technique and where you are in the process. We show you your current phase, the protein target the sources publish and what comes next.
1. Which technique do you have or will you have?
2. Where are you in the process?
Week 6
The phases of the gastric sleeve
- Days 1 to 7Clear liquids
- Weeks 2 and 3Full liquids
- Weeks 4 to 6PuréesHere
- Weeks 7 to 10Soft, well-chewed foods
- From week 11Adapted regular diet
Your current phase
Gastric sleeve
Week 6
Purées
Weeks 4 to 6
Third of five phases: the texture changes, but portions are still small.
Protein target
60 g or more
of protein a day, at a minimum, during the first year
In weeks 4 to 8, the reference nutrition guideline sets 60 to 80 g a day.
What comes next
From week 7
Soft, well-chewed foods
In every phase
- Protein first at every meal.
- No liquids with meals: 30 minutes before and after.
- Supplements based on your technique: see yours.
* General guidance based on the guidelines published for each technique. It does not replace the judgment of the bariatric surgeon or your dietitian, who adjust the phases and targets to your progress.
Your nutrition support: how much it costs
With your technique and timing, we calculate how many follow-ups you have left in the first year. Choose the frequency and format to see the cost of each part.
Your case, from the guide
Gastric sleeve, in week 6 after surgery
You have 11 months left in the first year. Change
How often will your follow-ups be?
During follow-up care, nutrition is checked every 1 to 3 months; you agree on the final frequency with your dietitian.
How would you prefer your follow-ups?
The initial consultation includes
- Anthropometry and body composition
- Dietary history
- Review of your lab tests
- Personalized plan, including the pre-op diet
Your first year, month by month
Follow-upInitial consultationMonth already completed
Your support plan
Consultation and 5 follow-ups, estimated cost
COP 835,000to COP 1,530,000
Initial bariatric nutrition consultation
COP 185,000 to COP 280,000
5 in-person follow-ups, every 2 months
COP 130,000 to COP 250,000 each
COP 650,000 to COP 1,250,000
Follow-up lab tests
Defined at the assessment
Separate, in your process
Assessment with the bariatric surgeon
COP 150,000 to COP 300,000
* Estimated market prices in Medellín. The final cost and the frequency of follow-ups are confirmed at the consultation, based on your technique and progress. Supplements and lab tests are separate.
Your lifelong supplements
Each technique changes what the body absorbs, so each one has its own regimen. Choose yours.
Gastric sleeve
5
supplements in your regimen
Why
The sleeve does not cause malabsorption, so it requires fewer supplements than the bypass. The minimum is one year; ideally, for life.
Doses are published references. The team adjusts the exact regimen based on your follow-up lab tests.
Multivitamin
At least 1 year
ideally for life
Covers micronutrients when you eat less.
Vitamin D
At least 1 year
according to lab tests
Deficiency is common in patients with a history of obesity.
Calcium citrate
At least 1 year
Bone health, especially in women.
Vitamin B12
According to lab tests
It can drop because you eat less animal protein.
Iron
If indicated
by your lab tests
Lower risk than with the bypass, but possible in women.
What bariatric nutrition does
The nutrition assessment is one of the first steps in the process, right after the assessment with the surgeon. Before surgery, it prepares your body with the pre-op diet; afterward, it guides you through each change in texture until your long-term diet, which you keep for life with three rules.
It also watches what surgery can take away: protein, when the stomach takes in small portions, and vitamins and minerals, especially with techniques that reduce absorption. With follow-up lab tests, it adjusts your supplements in time.
Before: the pre-op diet
2 to 4 weeks, to reduce fatty liver by 20 to 30%.
After: the phases
From clear liquids to an adapted regular diet, in about 11 weeks.
Always: supplements and follow-ups
Follow-ups every 1 to 3 months, with lab tests to adjust vitamins.
What the bariatric nutrition consultation includes
From COP 185,000 to COP 280,000. It can be in person in Medellín or by telehealth.
Anthropometry and body composition
Body measurements and composition, to track not just your weight but what you lose.
Dietary history
How, how much and when you eat today: the starting point of your plan.
Lab test review
To detect deficiencies before surgery and adjust supplements afterward.
Personalized plan
With the pre-op diet, the phases after surgery and your protein target.
The pre-op diet and the eating phases
2 to 4 week pre-op diet
Low in calories and high in protein, to reduce fatty liver by 20 to 30% before surgery.
Medications
Before surgery, blood thinners, anti-inflammatories and some diabetes medications are stopped, as directed by the team.
Tobacco
You must quit 6 to 8 weeks before, because it raises the risk of leaks and lung complications.
The phases, technique by technique
The sleeve and the bypass have published weeks. For the other techniques, sources give the sequence but not how long each phase lasts.
| Technique | Eating sequence | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Sleeve and bypass | Clear liquids (days 1 to 7), full liquids (weeks 2 and 3), purées (weeks 4 to 6), soft, well-chewed foods (weeks 7 to 10) and an adapted regular diet (from week 11) | About 11 weeks to the long-term phase |
| Mini bypass | There is no published guideline that differs from the bypass; its phases are used as a reference | Your dietitian confirms it |
| SADI-S | Full liquid diet for several weeks, then soft foods and a gradual return to normal food, in small portions | Over three months |
| Gastric balloon | Clear liquids on the day of the procedure, then purées, then a soft diet and then your dietitian's plan | No published duration per phase |
The rules that stay with you for life
60 g
Protein first
At least 60 g a day in the first year with the sleeve; 60 to 80 g with the bypass. At every meal, protein comes before everything else.
30 min
No liquids with meals
Drink liquids 30 minutes before or 30 minutes after eating, never with your meal.
20
Chew well
About 20 times per bite, at every meal, even once your diet is regular.
With the bypass: no anti-inflammatories ever again
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, along with tobacco, promote marginal ulcers.
With the bypass: no alcohol in the first year
After the bypass, alcohol is absorbed faster, so it is best avoided during the first year.
Nutrition during treatment with GLP-1 medications
GLP-1 medications reduce appetite, and when you eat less the challenge is making sure the weight you lose is fat and not muscle. That is why nutrition support during these treatments focuses on preserving muscle mass, with a personalized plan that prioritizes protein and uses body composition as a reference.
The medication is prescribed and monitored by the physician; nutrition does not replace it. It is sometimes used to lose weight before surgery, but it is not combined with surgery at the same time.
See the costs, criteria and studies in non-surgical weight loss treatment.
Approved by INVIMA for obesity
Only Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4 mg)
Ozempic and Mounjaro are registered in Colombia for type 2 diabetes.
14.9%
average weight lost with semaglutide 2.4 mg at 68 weeks, in the STEP 1 trial.
2/3
of the weight lost was regained one year after stopping semaglutide.
44.2%
had nausea with semaglutide 2.4 mg, compared with 17.4% with placebo.
Nutritional risks that follow-up care prevents
Each technique has its own nutritional risks. Follow-ups and lab tests exist to detect them in time and adjust the plan.
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
They are more likely with techniques that reduce absorption. With the mini bypass, iron deficiency anemia is reported in 4% of patients.
Protein malnutrition
It is a known risk of the SADI-S; with the mini bypass, malnutrition is reported in 1%. That is why protein is reviewed and adjusted at every follow-up.
Dumping and low blood sugar after eating
These are possible long-term effects of the gastric bypass, along with deficiencies, and they are monitored during follow-up.
Weight regain
If habits are abandoned, the stomach stretches and the weight can come back. In one review, regain was 17.5% with the sleeve compared with 4% with the mini bypass.
Your bariatric nutrition remotely, step by step
The consultation and follow-ups can be done by telehealth. That way the pre-op diet starts before you travel and follow-up care continues once you are back home.
Step 1
Contact us on WhatsApp
Tell us your technique, your surgery date and where you are traveling from.
Step 2
Telehealth consultation
Dietary history and a review of your lab tests, without traveling.
Step 3
Pre-op diet at home
2 to 4 weeks before surgery, with your personalized plan.
Step 4
Surgery and first phases
Liquids during the first days, with the option of a recovery house with nursing care.
Step 5
Telehealth follow-ups
Every 1 to 3 months, to move to the next phase and check your protein.
Step 6
Supplement adjustments
Your dietitian reviews them with you during your telehealth follow-ups.
About bariatric nutrition in Medellín
How much does a bariatric nutrition consultation cost in Medellín?
What diet is followed before bariatric surgery?
What can you eat after a gastric sleeve or bypass?
How much protein do you need after bariatric surgery?
What vitamins do you take after bariatric surgery?
Can you drink liquids with meals after surgery?
How often are nutrition follow-ups?
Does bariatric nutrition help if you use a medication like Wegovy?
Still not sure which technique is right for you?
The bariatric surgery guide compares your case with every option, with and without surgery.
Your bariatric surgery process
Request your bariatric nutrition consultation in Medellín
Tell us your technique, whether you have already had surgery and where you are writing from. We coordinate your consultation, in person or by telehealth, and your first-year follow-ups.