Pre-op: To diet or not to diet

[Guest Rosalind]

I think a hospital stay should be standard if the core of your body has been altered. Insurance companies have gotten so cheap. I'd rather stay and be safe. My docs patients don't experience much pain either.

I have to admit.....some of the posts about the amount of pain is frightening to me. My doc says gas is the only thing I should feel. Morphine pumps are hard to manage. I didn't have one for my neck surgery. I hope I won't have one for VSG either!

[NewLife2011 13]

Iegal, you're right - I shouldn't have responded the way I did, sorry,

[Sassygirl06 962]

wow i guess this is a touchy subject! i dont think anybody should critisize for just chiming in but that is my opinion. anyhow, i did have a 2 day stay because i lived so far from the hospital that my doc wanted to keep an eye on me for one extra day. i didnt need a drain and i was thankful for that. as a matter of fact, and i dont know if this is common or not, my doc didnt even use stiches. he used sterie strips. i had 4 small insisions all about 1/2 an inch in size and i am so happy with the look of them. totally expected to have bigger scars! as for the diet....he required a 2 week liquid diet for all of his patients regardless of bmi. in my opinion why wouldnt someone want to do the most they could to have the best outcome. this is coming from someone that HATED the pre op diet, as evedinced by some of my posts about being on the diet...lol... however i lost so much weight i was thrilled and i just got that much close to my goal weight that much sooner. it is also said that the quick weight loss does shrink the liver as well as make it more pliable (capable of being moved without tearing) the liver is a BAD thing to have bleed as it is very difficult to stop the bleeding once it has begun. anyhoo good luck to anyone still waiting for the day, and congrats to anyone who is lucky enough to be on the other side already!

[lovePINK 31]

@iegal My Surgeon is Dr. Ann Lidor from Johns Hopkins Bayview and the surgeons there do use a drain for VSG and RNY but not lap band.

Just thought I'd add my $0.02.. lol.

[NewLife2011 13]

I think the lesson here is that there is no "one" right way and it doesn't mean your surgeon is from the dark ages or less competent if he does things differently than another surgeon at a well known hospital. Fotrunately Dr Aceves had no issues with my liver and I'm recovering well. Thanks to everyone for the support !

[NewLife2011 13]

Update: I am now day 6 post-op and having no issues with the clear liquid diet. Unlike before the surgery, it helps that I don't get hungry and that I'm sipping slowly all day. Seeing as I am unable to stomach the artificially sweetened Protein drinks it's probably a good thing I didn't do the pre-op diet, as it is I will have only 10 days of almost zero calorie intake rather than 24.

I can't wait for the full liquid phase to begin

[CowgirlJane 14,261]

Just goes to show, there is a reason they call it "practicing" medicine!

[iegal 460]

Hi NewLife;

YEAH - congrats on being sleeved and welcome to the losers bench. Our goal is the same...to lose weight. We can do this together regardless of our preop diet...or not preop diet, right?

Hugs to you and again congratulations!

iegal