Has anyone out there been scheduled for laproscopic surgery that ended up having regular surgery instead? Although I am still in the first week of my liquid diet, I have only lost 7 pounds of the 26 my doctor wants me to lose. I understand that by losing the weight, my liver will get smaller, thus facilitating the process of inserting the band laproscopically. However, he warned that if my liver had not shrunk significantly, that he would have to open me up to perform the surgery.

Has this happened to anyone? If so, did you require a longer recovery time? Right now, I am only planning to take 7 days off, which is the amount of time I am not allowed to operate a motor vehicle.

I think it is very rare to convert to an open procedure. I've read of surgeries not being completed. I've not read of one being done open. The best thing you can do for yourself is to stick to your pre-op diet. Even if you don't lose the number of pounds expected, having stuck to it, you will know you did your best for your body.

The recovery for an open surgery would be in the 6-8 weeks range. I don't think you'd be allowed to return to work in a week if that were to happen. I think the incision is along the entire abdomen from North to South.

I only lost 7lbs before surgery on the pre-op diet. I was on it for 2 weeks. My doc did not ask/require a certain amount of weight to be lost. Things went fine and he even fixed a hernia that I did not know that I had. Plus, you still have a week. Best of luck.