Pain and discomfort are topics that come up in almost every conversation about gastric sleeve surgery. Before we had ours in March 2024, we worried about how painful recovery would be. Having been through it, we can say that the experience was different from what we expected – often less severe than feared, but more varied in character than we anticipated.
Immediate post-operative pain
In the first 24-48 hours after surgery, you’re in hospital and pain is actively managed by the medical team. Our experience at Weight Loss Riga was that pain was controlled effectively during the hospital stay – a combination of IV medication during surgery and oral pain relief afterwards. The discomfort at this stage is real but manageable with medication.
The specific sensations most people describe in the immediate post-op period include: soreness around the laparoscopic incision sites (typically four to five small cuts rather than one large incision); a feeling of tightness or pressure in the upper abdomen; and referred shoulder pain from the gas used to inflate the abdomen during surgery. The shoulder pain surprised both of us – it can be quite uncomfortable for 24-48 hours and feels unrelated to the surgery site, but it’s a predictable consequence of the CO2 used in laparoscopic procedures and resolves on its own.
Pain in the first week at home
The first week home is typically the most challenging in terms of discomfort. You’re moving carefully, the incision sites are healing, and every time you eat or drink anything there’s a new sensation to interpret. Some degree of discomfort when swallowing is normal as the sleeve heals; this typically reduces noticeably by the end of the first week.
Over-the-counter pain relief – paracetamol – is generally appropriate for this period. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen, naproxen) are typically avoided post-bariatric surgery because they can damage the stomach lining and increase the risk of ulceration; your surgical team will advise specifically. If pain at any point feels severe, is getting worse rather than better, or is accompanied by fever, increasing abdominal tenderness, or vomiting, contact your surgical team immediately – these can be signs of complications including staple line leak.
The first month
By two to three weeks post-op, most people are moving around much more comfortably and the acute pain has largely resolved. What tends to remain is a more diffuse discomfort: the sensation of the sleeve being “too full” if you eat even slightly too much, a kind of pressure or nausea that’s your body’s new signal to stop. Learning to read this signal rather than overriding it is genuinely important – eating past the point of sleeve fullness is uncomfortable and can cause vomiting.
Some people experience persistent pain or discomfort when eating certain foods in the early weeks. This isn’t necessarily a complication – it often reflects the sleeve being newly formed and sensitive. Keeping to the prescribed food stages (liquids, then purées, then soft foods, then solids) rather than rushing ahead is the most effective way to minimise this kind of discomfort.
Longer-term discomfort
Beyond the acute recovery period, most people settle into a relationship with their sleeve where discomfort is the exception rather than the rule. Eating too quickly, not chewing thoroughly enough, eating slightly too much, or having certain foods that don’t agree with the sleeve can all cause discomfort – a pressure, heaviness, or nausea – but this is situational and typically brief.
Persistent pain well beyond the recovery period – significant ongoing discomfort when eating, pain that isn’t clearly associated with specific trigger foods, or pain that worsens over time – warrants review rather than management at home. These symptoms can occasionally indicate complications including stricture (narrowing of the sleeve) or other issues that need investigation.
Managing discomfort day to day
The most effective ongoing management of post-sleeve discomfort is behavioural: eating slowly, chewing thoroughly, stopping at the point of sleeve fullness rather than pushing through it, and following the no-drinking-with-meals rule. These aren’t restrictive habits for their own sake – they directly determine how comfortable eating with a sleeve feels. When we’re rushed or distracted at mealtimes, discomfort is noticeably more likely.
For the shoulder pain in the first few days post-op, walking helps more than any medication – movement encourages the gas to disperse. For general post-op recovery, gentle walking is the single most consistently useful thing you can do, starting as soon as you’re mobile after surgery.
Sources cited in this post: NHS – Weight loss surgery recovery and aftercare: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/weight-loss-surgery/recovery/ NICE NG180 – Perioperative care in adults: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng180 BOMSS – Peri-operative care guidelines for bariatric surgery: https://bomss.org/guidelines/ NHS – Painkillers: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/painkillers/”>https://bomss.org/
About this content This blog is written by James and Kirsten, a couple from the UK who had gastric sleeve surgery together in March 2024. We started this blog because we couldn't find any sources of content that details before surgery, the surgery and then life post surgery - so we decided to write one ourselves. Everything on this site is based on our own experience and the research we have done along the way. It is not medical advice. Gastric sleeve surgery is a serious procedure and every patient's journey is different. Please always consult your own bariatric team or GP before making any decisions about your health or treatment. Some posts on this site may contain featured or sponsored content, or affiliate links. Where this is the case, it will always be clearly stated at the top of the article. Our opinions are always our own. Publish Date: 22 July 2024 | Last Reviewed: 27 June 2026 | Next Planned Review: 27 December 2027