I had a different lap surgery one time that apparently required me to be fully nude on the operating table. It did involve my artery in my upper thigh but that I think could have been overcome. It was embarrassing to say the least.

During lapband surgery you are semi clothed at least right?

What determines whether you need it or not? Does it vary by doctor or by patient?

BPM,

I'm not a heath care person, but I do believe you are drapped with sterile materials, even tho' you are 'nekkid' underneath it all. It's really no big deal, but again, talk to your doc's office about it. Many lap band surgeons have Counselors or Therapist on hand too for you to talk to if needed to help answer concerns.

Mari72, your hilarious, I'm still roflol about someone needing therapy 'cause they saw me 'nekkid!!!!!

I was told nothing on under the gown and to leave it untied in the back. So I figure it was removed, then slid back on, when I was in recovery. I did not have a catheter. But my daughter who is a nurse says the same thing, that you are draped completely with only a window open where they are operating. They wash you down with the betadine solution (or something similar) and the drapes cling to it so they do not slide off. And let me tell you, what they used on me was sticky!!! My gown stuck to me, the sheets, heck it took 2 hands to peel my own breast off where it had laid!!! Those drapes didn't go anywhere!!!

Sounds like you may need to discuss your nudity issues with the Dr. to see if he can make any adjustments for you.

Best of luck to you!!

Kat

Not everyone has a catheter... IT is to catch your urine and keep your bladder deflated. I asked not to have one. You will be naked. Howver there are surgical drapes over every part except the area between your breasts and your pubic line..... You won't be exposed for all to see. I worked in Surgery before as a nurse.............. Don't worry about it. All of the nurses and doctors don't even think about your body..... they are doing their jobs..... not to say that occasionally they don't make comments......

Banded June 21, 2006

Naked. You dress down to a gown only, including no jewelry. So they take everything off of you when you are under. You don't remember it so don't worry. They've seen it all. No catheter for me.

Not everyone has a catheter... IT is to catch your urine and keep your bladder deflated. I asked not to have one. You will be naked. Howver there are surgical drapes over every part except the area between your breasts and your pubic line..... You won't be exposed for all to see. I worked in Surgery before as a nurse.............. Don't worry about it. All of the nurses and doctors don't even think about your body..... they are doing their jobs..... not to say that occasionally they don't make comments......

Banded June 21, 2006

So you can request not to have the catheter? I don't think that is something I'd be interested in. Aack.

Personally, I love the catheter even though I didn't get one for this surgery. I don't handle incision pain well and I hate having to hoist myself up to go to the bathroom (repeatedly) after surgery. I wasn't given a choice; they just did what they normally do for my dr/hosp, which is no catheter.

So you can request not to have the catheter? I don't think that is something I'd be interested in. Aack.

Definitely sounds like something to ask when you go in. It sure seems to vary from doctor to doctor. :confused: My doctor never mentioned it, but I probably would have turned it down had he said anything.

Completely naked and just with that loose surgical gown. Don't worry, they've seen it all and they see it everyday so it's not really a big deal. Besides you'll be completely out and your mind will surely be busy with so many other things. Don't take any jewellry either (no rings, no necklaces, nothing at all!) and no nail polish on your fingers or toes.

If you still have doubts ask the nurse or assistant personnel, they're very used to all sorts of questions from patients.

niki

I'm sure my gown came off too. I was out like everyone else so no skin off my nose. If they want to see me nekkid then hey, more power to them, I just hope nobody can sue me for therapy later! :eek: KIDDING!

LOL!

I agree, I don't care who sees me nekkid. Not like they haven't seen it all before, and as someone else said, I don't have anything that should surprise them.

I don't mean to minimize the concern of the original poster. I saw something showing the surgeon standing between the patients legs to do the surgery, and that weirded me out a bit for some reason. We all have our quirks.

=Don't take any jewellry either (no rings, no necklaces, nothing at all!) and no nail polish on your fingers or toes.

niki

The jewelry makes sense, but why no polish?

Here is a link I posted on the Lapband FAQ board. You can actually watch a lap band procedure being performed. The woman in the video is covered except for her middle. But I don't know if they did that since it was being broadcast live on the web.

http://lapbandtalk.com/showpost.php?p=245071&postcount=20

I think we may be nude folks, and here is why;

Just as I was starting to go out, the nurse began to move the sheet down from my boobs and then stopped to see if I was out.

Also (and this is embarrassing) I had a pad on with those horrible surgical panties they give you, and when I woke up, the surgical panties were on but the pad was gone.

no nail polish on your fingers or toes.

I had polish on both fingers and toes.

The prohibition on nail polish is because they look at the color of your fingernails to see if you're getting enough oxygen to your fingers. (I'm not sure whether they care about toenails.)

I, too, am squeamish about being exposed and unconsious -- if I had a choice, I'd choose no, thank you. I think a lot of obese folks may have issues that involved childhood sexual abuse and being this vulnerable is scary. It certainly was for me when I had GYN surgery, but I kind of sucked it up and moved on.

I suppose you might be able to negotiate with the anesthesiologist about having spinal or epidural anesthesia, though I've never heard of them using it for this.