hello all, I go for my pre-op in a couple of days and I am trying to make sure I ask all the right questions so I am not surprised after surgery. So far this is what I have come up with

1. What size band will you be using.

2. Will you do a fill when you insert it.

3. When do you expect to do the first fill, will it be under Fluro, and what is the charge?

I only met with the Dr. once before and it was brief and mostly a screening appt to see if he thought I was a candidate.

If anyone has a list or other questions or even one other question, please send me a line.

I am getting a little overwhelmed (in a good way, but still overwhelmed) with the details and i want to make sure I don't forget to ask anything.

thank you

I can tell you that your band will likely have only a very small amount of saline in it, left from testing the integrity before inserting it, because you will have swelling post-op and if you also had saline in the band, you likely would have problems swallowing liquids.

Band size seems somewhat irrelevant to me ... a 10cc band or a 14cc band, or whatever...they all work the same. You will likely reach your sweet spot sooner in a 10cc band, but I know people with 14cc bands who have gotten first and second fills that exceeded what 10cc patients got. As for fills, I haven't figured out why some docs do it under fluoro unless there's been a problem or question. My fills so far have been done simply by lying back on a table with my arms up over my head and I didn't even feel the needle. Most fills are about 4 weeks after surgery, but I've seen comments on here where people had to wait longer, so I would definitely want to know because once you've healed substantially and you're living on mushies, you're going to start getting hungry, LOL.

Definitely ask about the charge. Everybody I've talked with at length who was self-pay had 10 fills (to be one in one year) included in the self-pay price. Insurance, obviously, if it covered the surgery will cover fills under whatever copay provided by your insurance.

What you need to get, if you haven't already, is a printed sheet(s) of dietary guidelines for the time immediately post-op. You'll be on liquids for at least a couple of weeks, so you need a complete list of what your doctor considers liquids. Then you'll be on "mushies" and you should also get guidelines for that at least by the post-op visit. Find out about lifting restrictions, exercise guidelines for the first few weeks post-op.

Advice? Have Gas-X strips on hand. Buy a heating pad. The day before surgery, make sure you have all your liquid food on hand so that you have variety. Sugar free popsicles will help with that desire for something different. I stewed a chicken (covered completely with water, quarter an onion --you don't even have to peel it -- some carrots, celery and seasonings). When done, strain everything and you will have the best rich stock to drink. My advice is, if there's some one at your house to eat the chicken is to make chicken salad or whatever with the chicken; other side just throw it away. If you cook for your family, you can do the same thing with a pot roast....save all that yummy broth and puree a can of tomatoes and mix with the broth and season, and you will have a tasty soup. Broth in cans and boxes do not measure up to these choices. Later, when you can have mushies, you can take the beef broth/tomato mixture and even add mushie vegetables to it.

Get VERY clear instructions on the post op diet

How long to do clear liquids

How long on full liquids, what liquids are those (I couldn't have milk based soups like cream of _______)

What can you have for mushy stage

Do foods in this stage need to be pureed