getting ready for surgery

Hospital List courtesy of Moni


-Lip balm / chap stick…for the dry lips when you can’t have ice chips
-Baby wipes or antibacterial wipes to freshen up
-Trial size baby lotion or favorite lotion
-Small shampoo and conditioner
-Brush, hair ties
-Toothbrush and paste …the hospital provides some but it tastes horrible
-Deodorant
-Insurance card and living will or health care proxy, medication list
-Your own pillow w/colored case (this will be handy for the ride home too)
-Loose clothes to wear home and a good pair of non slip sole slip on shoes…you will hate to bend over to put on shoes
-Camera in case you want to document the journey …this is an optional item
-Phone numbers in case you want to call family / friends
-Sanitary napkins (a lot of women will start their cycle right after surgery)
-Eye covering (if light bothers you), earplugs (if noise bothers you)
-Pictures of family or loved ones…This is an optional item
-Small fan …this is an optional item
-Get some type of long wooden spoon or something you can wrap toilet tissue around. If that doesn't work, get a family member to help wipe.
-A robe and house shoes to walk in the hall after surgery
-Some reading material like magazines…you won’t get through a book with all the drugs they have you on.
-CPAP machine (if dr. requires it)
-Albuterol rescue inhaler
Pack your bag to go to the hospital and then remove HALF of that. You won't use it all!

Post-op List

-Lots of small dishes to eat from
-Replace all the batteries in things you use regularly (TV control, VCR controls, cordless phone, etc)
-Buy yourself a small bag of sugar-free peppermints. These are great if your queasy post-op or peppermint tea. Hot tea is a great help in the morning to relax your new pouch.
-Small plastic dishes for freezing and or refrigerating left -overs
-Small spoons and forks
-Extra measuring cups and spoons
-Vitamin e oil for dry stomach skin
- Foods that can be eaten post op. Bottled water ,baby apple juice (Dole,),instant breakfast, no sugar added popsicles, jell-o pudding, some type of protein powder, gatorade ,chicken broth, instant mashed potatoes.
-A good strainer to strain the chunks out of soup
-For those of you that don't have a shower seat, see if someone you know has one you can borrow (bleach the thing before using of course though) or purchase one if possible. Make sure if you are borrowing one that it has rubber grips on the feet of it though that are in good shape. You certainly don't want to slip and fall in the shower
-One of those grabbers that you can pick things up off the floor
-Whatever vitamins and supplements you plan on taking
-Protein shakes and shaker cups
-Bags of ice…for getting in fluids and making shakes cold
-Mederma or scar gone to heal incisions
-Food processor or magic bullet to blend the food


Surgery Day
For many gastric bypass surgery patients, the long-anticipated day of surgery is an exciting end to a long wait. It’s often referred to by post-surgical patients as their “birthday,” because of the life-changing transformation of health they’ve achieved.

Preparing for the day of gastric bypass surgery is like preparing for many other surgeries. Your surgeon will have specific instructions for you to follow. A few of the more frequently given instructions include:

Do not drink or eat anything prior to surgery, beginning the evening before the day of surgery.


Most medicines can be taken the day of surgery, just with small sips of water (however, your doctor will have instructions regarding specific medications).
When you arrive, you will undergo a few preoperative steps. You will change out of your clothes. You will see your nurses, and often, you will see your surgeon as well as your anesthesiologist. An IV line will be started to keep you hydrated and to administer medications such as antibiotics. The preoperative experience is often a short one, after which you will be taken to the operating room.

If you are not already under anesthesia before you get to the operating room, you will be once there. Then, you will be intubated and your surgeon will perform the operation. Gastric bypass procedures, whether they are minimally invasive or open, are fairly short … about 75 to 90 minutes.

After surgery, your healthcare team will make sure that your vital signs are correct and arrange for you to be taken to a recovery room.

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