Just wondering if anyone can tell me about their actual experience the day of surgery and what to expect? I am waiting for approval on the sleeve surgery which is anytime now! How long does the surgery take?

Edited January 11, 20206 yr by Tiredmimi

Surgery itself 1-2hrs

I went in for surgery about 1:30 pm. I woke up about 6pm, still very groggy. Used the bathroom, and went back to bed. Woke up at 5am, ready to face the world. Felt amazing! I got dressed, did my makeup, walked and walked. By 10am I was discharged.

My VSG surgery took 50min (per my surgeon).

My surgeon said my surgery was about 45 minutes.

Sleeve surgery normally takes 2.5 to 3 hours is what my surgeon told me. My sleeve surgery took 3.5 hours.

I just got revised to bypass. That was expected to take 4 hours but actually took 5.5 hours. It also included a hernia repair.

my RNY took just over an hour. But there's the prep and the recovery, of course - that may be why some people are reporting theirs taking a lot longer than that (??). The surgery itself is pretty quick, unless you have other issues going on (like a hernia).

Edited January 11, 20206 yr by catwoman7

My rny was done robotically and I had a lot of scar tissue that had to be removed. Neither surgery included recovery as my family was able to watch on a screen in the waiting room showing exactly when I was in surgery and then moved to recovery.

You could ask your surgeon what his/her average time is for the surgery to get a better idea.

7 hours ago, Losingit2018 said:

My rny was done robotically and I had a lot of scar tissue that had to be removed. Neither surgery included recovery as my family was able to watch on a screen in the waiting room showing exactly when I was in surgery and then moved to recovery.

might have been the scar tissue that was removed that - (i.e., that took the extra time). Also, I'm not sure if having surgery done robotically takes longer or not - if so, that might have been a factor as well.

Mine took about two and a half hours, but I had a band removed, a hernia repaired and a RNY all at the same time. Your mileage may vary!

The surgery itself takes 45 minutes to an hour, I think. But of course you have to get there an hour or more early to get prepped and checked in and everything and it takes a while to wake up in recovery, so overall it takes maybe 3 hours.

I arrived at 5 am, was in the prep area by 6 am, surgery at 7am, recovery by 9am, in my room and dozing again by 10 am. It was pretty low-key!

6 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

might have been the scar tissue that was removed that - (i.e., that took the extra time). Also, I'm not sure if having surgery done robotically takes longer or not - if so, that might have been a factor as well.

Right. I agree. Also the hernia was much larger than expected. My dr saw it from egd and thought it was small. He ended up needing to do a repair with mesh.

My surgery was about 1 1/2 hours. It is kind of funny, but it has only been a little over 4 months... .but I had the sleeve surgery, my took my daughter for dental surgery, then I had another kind of surgery "attempt", and then I had the actual "other" surgery (obgyn related) a few weeks ago. I can't remember all the details of my VSG surgery now! lol. I know I was on full liquids for a couple days. Then I had orders to drink a sugary drink the night before and morning of (but otherwise nothing to eat or drink after midnight). I took my medicine for tachycardia in the AM as instructed. Went to the hospital by 6am, maybe 6:30. Got weighed. Started my IV (took several attempts). Hung out impatiently. I vaguely remember going back to the OR. I remember them starting to do the OR "right patient right surgery" checks. Woke up a couple hours later, don't remember my recovery room but I do remember my room. And of course post op was medications, fluid challenges, walking, etc. Went home by 11:30 the next day. Oh... and the doc told me I would have 3 or 4 incisions before the surgery, but I had all 7 when I woke up! But all healed nicely.

Edited January 12, 20206 yr by momof3_angels