I was reading a different thread where a new bandster was going to be discharged the same day as surgery. I'm curious... how many of you stayed overnight? Did your surgeon do a barium swallow after surgery to check for leaks? There was a very high profile case here in Michigan involving a Detroit city councilwoman. She died after her band surgery because the surgeon nicked her stomach with the instruments. A barium swallow after surgery will catch any nicks/leaks, so it became standard procedure at my hospital. What was your experience?

I had the swallow several hours after surgery and sent home the next afternoon.

i had a berrum swallow the same afternoon as surgery.. nothing was passing through.

I had another the next morning.. still nothing.

again that afternoon.. nothing..

again that next morning.. nothing.

They decided to go in and put in the larger band i slept through the night and the following morning i had another swallow.. this time it went through..

then i had a last one the following day before i was discharged.

I did a barium swall directly, and I mean directly after surgery.

I rememeber being in the recovery room and then in the X-Ray Lab.

The most exciting (?!) thing about the barium swallow was that they tilted the bed I was on upright, granted I was still strapped in, but I felt like I was on some kind of horrid ride.

This was really, IMHO the worst part of the whole surgery!

I was D/c the same day without barium but I get to drink it for each fill. Not too bad but last time they couldnt find the saline from before and think there is a leak so i got extra.....

After surgery they had me drink like 10 cc of Water every 15 min then after 4 of those they up it to 20 cc and every 10 min and i get 50% juice

did that for a hour more and out the door. The cool thing was that i was at a small hospital and alot of the nurses including mine had lap band from the same doc.

I had the barium swallow under the xray the next day before being discharged. I was excited to see how everything looked before leaving and yes it was horrible to drink, it makes you want to gag.

I spent the night and did a swallow in the morning. The thing is I was the first that had orders that I could go home same day. My husband was concerned because I was very nauseous in post op so he had me stay the night. If I had gone home, I would not have done the swallow!!!!

I haven't had my surgery yet, but I already know my surgeon standard procedures after banding. A morning surgery, on one-night hospital stay, next morning small sip of barium, thank GOD far far less than I had to drink for the UGI she requires all of her patients to have before surgery, a little fluoroscopy, then if all is flowing good the new bandsters is on their way home.

I did not stay overnight, no barium swallow then or since.

I stayed overnight in the hospital. Not sure if it was cheaper for the doctor than the hotel, or if there was a medical reason his patients stay overnight. My surgery was in Mexico.

My surgery lasted about 40 mins, after recovery they sent me to radiology for the barium swallow. I don't really remember it but I know I was afraid I was drinking too much. I was home by 2 that day, but somehow the hospital staff misplaced me. I went into the OR at 8, the surgery started by 9 and the doctor was talking to my family by close to 10. I remember being in recovery and looking at the clock and didn't want to wake up! I was enjoying my sleep..and suprisingly enough little pain. Sometime between 10 and 12 they sent me to radiology for my barium swallow, which I hardly remember--then someone rolled me into some room with a man sitting at a desk on the phone. He waved and I waved and went back to sleep. I didn't care as long as I was covered up and sleeping! Apparently my mom and family were getting peeved that they desk person couldn't locate me, so my fiance went looking and found me. The man at the desk just kept talking and finally with enough fuss they rolled me to step down (I think they found someone from the cafeteria to drive the bed because we hit the wall once, and she also tried to send me back to pre-op!!). I think if there had been more order I'd been home earlier. (Sorry I got a little off subject but the story is quite amusing!). Imagine all of this in a 300+ bed facitility in the medical center of Houston!!

I did the barium swallow...wasnt as bad as id heard. matter of fact, i dont even remember what it tasted like, only that it was chalky. anyway, the radiologist said everything was OK and i was discharged the same day.

also, i must say...whats the big deal about the b-swallow anyway. i mean, the post-op pain, pain from having to cough, and gas pains alone are far worse than having to drink a chalky liquid. i say BIG UPS to the guy in the white coat that made this a requirement! i surely wouldnt have wanted to be discharged with something punctured. Amen?

I had to stay overnight. I did a barium swallow the next morning & then I was released. I get my fills under fluoro. I had no restriction after my first 2 fills. For my third fill, my doc filled my band to capacity, I swallowed barium & he slowly took saline out until the barium passed through the band. It worked! I finally have restriction & have lost steadily ever since.

I was released the following morning, after the swallowing test. I'm glad I had it done then, especially since I'm not filled under flouro. I do think everyone should be filled under flouro, then there's less of a chance for puncturing the tube and better knowledge of the fill is immediately available.

I wasn't discharged the next day, so I didn't vote. I didn't get a barium though.

No barium swallow for me. And I stayed overnight in the most BEAUTIFUL hospital room in San Francisco. The view out my window was like a postcard. The floor was a single occupant and had wood floors. The staff was AMAZING. I didn't want to leave. That hospital is really catering to the WLS people and doing a damn fine job of it.

And no barium. My doctors do that only in worrisome cases. Me, I recovered well, slept well that night and out the next morning.