About Your Surgery

The morning of surgery, you will report to the ambulatory surgery unit (ASU). Here the nurse will check you in for your surgery and review your medical history. They will take your vital signs and start your IV.

 

The bariatric coordinator will take you to the preoperative holding area, where you will see the anesthesiologist and surgeon prior to entering the operating room. Your family and friends are welcome to escort you down to the holding area. There is a waiting area across from the recovery room where they can get updates on your surgery from the operating room staff.

 

Once your surgery is completed, you will go to the recovery room. Here the nursing staff will monitor your recovery from anesthesia. This usually takes around 30 minutes. During this time the surgeon will meet with your family and friends and explain how your surgery went. You and your family will then be escorted to Wing 3 when you are released from the recovery room.

 

On Wing 3, the nursing staff will monitor your vital signs, perform assessments to check your recovery. The staff will have you up and walking within a few hours of your surgery. Once you are ready, you will be escorted to radiology, where the surgeon will perform a modified barium swallow. You will stand in front of a camera and swallow a mouth full of contrast and the surgeon will watch that go down into your stomach. The study takes only a few seconds. After completion of the study, we will advance you to a full liquid diet.

 The dietician and bariatric coordinator will meet with you and review the post operative eating habits and answer any questions.

 

Once you have been able to eat 2 liquid meals and are feeling well, you will be evaluated by the surgeon and discharged home. At that time the surgeon will review your medications and may stop some of them prior to discharge. You will have a follow up appointment scheduled for 1 week from your surgery date.