You’re well on your way to getting lap-band surgery by the time you choose a surgeon and figure out how to pay for it, as you learned about in Chapter 5, “Planning Your Lap-Band Surgery” in The BIG Book on the LAP-BAND. Chapter 6, “Preparing for Surgery and the Hospital,” has details about what you will do to get ready for the actual surgery.
Pre-Surgery Medical Care
A lot of preparation is necessary before you can get banded. You’ll have medical tests and appointments, and have to follow a pre-surgery diet. You’ll learn more about the procedure and what to expect afterward as you recover from surgeon and lose weight.
Surgeon Appointments
You’ll have one or more pre-surgery appointments with your surgeon. Each appointment is an opportunity to ask questions, such as details about the lap-band procedure, what happens if you develop complications and any other concerns. Be sure to bring up any known medical conditions that you have so your surgeon can be prepared. You and your surgeon will set your surgery date, which can be several months ahead. Use your pre-surgery appointment(s) to decide whether you are sure that you have made the right choices regarding getting the lap-band and choosing a particular surgeon.
Medical and Psychiatric Tests
You’ll get a battery of tests to make sure you’re healthy enough for the surgery. These might include an abdominal ultrasound to make sure that your physiology is normal, an EKG to assess your heart beat, blood tests to evaluate your nutritional status and lung, liver and kidney function and chest and gastrointestinal x-rays. You’ll have a psychological evaluation to make sure you do not have any untreated psychological conditions that can interfere with your success with the lap-band.
Dietitian Meetings and Pre-Surgery liquid Diet
You will meet with a dietitian to make sure you understand the lap-band diet that you will be following for years after surgery. The diet will help you lose weight and keep the weight off. The dietitian may assess your current diet and point out changes that will occur on the lap-band diet. In addition, the dietitian will guide you in a pre-surgery weight loss diet, if your insurance policy requires it before reimbursing your surgery, and in a pre-surgery liquid diet in the days leading up to surgery.
The liquid diet lasts for 5 to 14 days before surgery and consists of liquids, with no solid foods. It helps shrink your liver to make your surgeon’s job easier. You may get to have Protein Shakes and other liquids on this diet, but not sugary liquids and soft drinks.< /span>
Final Preparations for Surgery
A few things to take care of as your surgery approaches are getting time off from work, making sure you have a ride home from the hospital and, if you are going to Mexico for the procedure, getting your passport in order. You can prepare your home by stocking your kitchen with the liquids and foods that you’ll need after surgery, since you might not feel like going grocery shopping right after your surgery! Pain medications should be available, but make sure that your surgeon approves them and gives you directions for using them. High doses of common pain medications, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, can lead to lap-band complications such as erosion.
You probably just need a small overnight bag for the hospital. It’s a good idea to be prepared to stay overnight, even if you’re scheduled to be released the same day, just in case there are complications. These are some of the items to pack:
(Wear loose-fitting clothes)
a change of underwear
simple toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion, hand sanitizer, comb
book, magazine, iPod or another form of entertainment
important papers: insurance papers and phone numbers
cell phone (fully charged)
medications and dietary supplements
Chapter 6, “Preparing for Surgery and the Hospital,” in The BIG Book on the LAP-BAND has more details about what to bring, what not to bring and what to bring to Mexico.
By the time you’re done with all of these steps, it’ll be time for your surgery! This is the easiest part of the whole lap-band journey. All you have to do is get to the hospital and check in. From there, the nurses and staff will take care of you. You will get wheeled into the surgery room, lie down on a table and receive anesthesia. You’ll have the lap-band inside of you the next time you wake up.
Hello Everyone! I am brand new to the band. I just received my band on 06/13/2013 at 9am. I am having a very rough go at this, not because of the food thing, but boy the gas pains have taken me for a ride. I can't burp no matter what I do, so needless to say it is slowly coming from the other area, which I don't mind, but I would love to just be able to burp, LOL. So I am stopping in to say hello to everyone and ask for advice and what to do here? What I mean is that I really don't know what to expect? I have read the materials like I have watched my favorites movies over and over again, but I just want to make sure that I am doing what I am supposed to do. I go back to my surgeon in July for my first visit, what will happen there? I have been only drinking liquids, I have had very little broth as I just don't want anything yet and a small amount of sugar-free Jello, LOTS of Water and tea with sweetener versus real sugar. I would really appreciate anyone's and all input
I don't think anyone on here can comment, other than that you did the right thing by calling your doctor.
I hope you feel better soon, and that it's nothing too serious.
My band was placed!!!! God is so good to me! I'm a little sore and after the surgery I had severe nausea but the gave me phenergan and zofran and since then I'm feeling much better! Good luck on Tuesday and may God bless you!
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