According to MayoClinic.com, gastric bypass surgery is the most frequently preformed bariatric surgery in the United States. During the procedure the stomach is stapled into a small pouch and part of the small intestine is bypassed. It is used for patients who are severely overweight who may have additional health problems, such as high blood pressure or diabetes. It is important for bariatric surgery patients to take vitamin and mineral supplements for the rest of their life, as the part of the intestine that absorbs many of the essential nutrients from food has been bypassed.
Multi-Vitamin
Patients that undergo gastric bypass surgery should consider taking a daily multi-vitamin. According to the Western Pennsylvania Hospital, patients should start by taking one chewable multi-vitamin which contains 100 percent of the daily nutrients twice daily and then advance to a non-chewable form as tolerated once their their diet has been advanced to include solid foods. There are many different brands of multi-vitamins on the market. It is important to choose a supplement that contains 100 percent of the recommended daily nutrients that is well tolerated by the patient. Patients who experience gastrointestinal distress after taking their vitamin may want to try taking with food or milk.
Calcium
Calcium is an important supplement to take following gastric bypass surgery. Multi-vitamins usually only contain a small amount of calcium, so additional supplementation is warranted. A supplement which contains at least 1000 mg-1200 mg of elemental calcium is recommended, reports the Western Pennsylvania Hospital. Patients may begin by taking their calcium in chewable form and advance to pill form when tolerated. Patients who are taking an additional iron supplement, or a multi-vitamin which contains iron should take their calcium several hours later as taking them together may cause a decrease in absorption.
Vitamin B12
After gastric bypass surgery, patients will no longer be able to digest and absorb sufficient amounts of B12 and must take B12 in a form that directly enters the bloodstream, not through the digestive tract, reports the Western Pennsylvania Hospital. Options for patients include a monthly injection of B12 or a tablet that dissolves after being placed underneath the tongue.
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