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What questions to ask at surgical pre-op?



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I am meeting with my surgeon on Friday, 9/17. I know I have seen alot of things on this wonderful board and have made notes but I just want to make sure that I gather all of the questions that I should be asking.

Would you all be kind enough to share the questions that you asked? Or wished that you had asked?

This board is wonderful, thanks so much!

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Pre Op /The Op

If self pay - What does your fee involve?

Is there some follow up care thrown in there, like labs at 3,6,9 and 12 months?

Pre op diet – what to eat/drink and how long for?

Do I get a nutritionist/psychologist?

What size bougie is used? (This is the medical instrument which determines the size of your remaining pouch)

Do you oversew the staple line?

How many incisions do you make?

Do you go in thru previous scars?

How many nights in the hospital – is there facility for someone else to stay in my room as well?

Do they need to be with me 24/ during my hospital stay?

How many leak tests do you do?

How many sleeves have you performed?

Complication/leak stats? How many if any deaths?

Who do I contact if I think I have a problem (most places give out an emergency number)?

Is the hospital equipped an ICU and blood bank in case of complications?

If complications do happen to occur, are these complications/additional surgery/days in hospital covered by the original quoted price of the surgery?

Would you remove my gall bladder at the same time if needed?

Can you give me some patient testimonials or do you have any before/after pictures of your patients that I could read/look at?

Is it standard operation procedure, ie: no nail polish, no body jewellery?

Do I need to stop taking any particular medication pre op? (Take a list of what you take and dosage)

Post Op

How often are the post op check ups?

Where are they? – is price included?

What supplements/anti acid drug would I need to take and for how long?

Do I need labs done post op? – Are these checked with you or my local doctor?

DO I get a dvd of the operation?

Post op diet?

How much weight would I be expected loose?

What if I loose too much, how to maintain?

Do you use heparin? – Will I have to inject it myself?

How soon after the op can I……drive, swim, work out, lift weights, lift my kids?

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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