ARTZ137 you are the winner. In order to get to the stomach the surgeon has to lift the liver. Anytime a laparoscopy is done they use the instruments to lift and move the,liver out of the way for a better view in that small space. The smaller the liver is the less force has to be put on it to retract it, which greatly reduces the chance of there being a tear or lasceration. Truly it is in everyone's best interest to do a pre op diet, not only to get your body used to relying on fewer calories and less food (reduces caloric/fat distress which can lead to hair loss) but also shrinks the liver which reduces the likelihood of a secondary complication.
When it comes to a leak test...some docs do it, some don't do it right away. The rationale is that very very rarely do we leak immediately post stapling. It is usually within the 1st 24 hrs after we have been moving and what not. Your surgeon should most definitely do a barium swallow/upper GI the day after your surgery to check then for leakage, and to make sure the liquid will pass through your GI junction. Neverthelesss, you should wake up from surgery with a drain (hemovac) as a precautionary measure. If you do leak this drain will collect the infectious fluid and drastically reduce the complications of getting a leak and becoming septic.