Day of Your Surgery
Before you leave home
Please leave any valuables at home to ensure their safety and wear loose-fitting clothing. Refrain from wearing nail polish, gel, acrylic, and other artificial nails. Do not wear make-up or contact lenses. Follow any additional directions provided by your surgeon and the nurse who contacts you before surgery.
When you arrive at the hospital
Upon arrival to the hospital, please check in at Patient Registration in the main lobby. If all your pre-admission testing and information gathering has been completed, you will be directed to the waiting area. You should remain there until someone from the Ambulatory Surgery Department (ASD) calls you.
In the Ambulatory Surgery Department (ASD)
Your preparation for surgery will continue in the ASD. The nursing staff will weigh you and assess your temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate. A nurse will ask you to review and sign appropriate health information forms. Please inform the nurse of any changes that have occurred in your physical condition since you last saw your physician. The bariatric surgery coordinator or a support staff member will be available throughout the day to answer your questions.
The anesthesiologist may order a nebulizer treatment for you to receive before surgery. Intravenous fluids (an IV) will be started to give you supplemental fluids until you are able to return to oral fluid after your surgery. Your surgeon may order a subcutaneous dose or blood thinner.
Prior to going into the operating room, you will see your surgeon and the anesthesiologist who will care for you during your surgery. Be sure to ask any last-minute questions you may have. Just before you go into the operating room, you will be asked to empty your bladder so that it may not need a catheter.
In the Operating Room (OR)
After you arrive in the OR, the anesthesiologist will connect you to several monitoring devices. These will help in the assessment of various vital functions such as your pulse, oxygen levels, blood pressure, EKG and temperature.
Sequential compression stocking sleeves will be placed on your lower legs in the OR prior to your surgery. The sleeves are connected to a machine that inflates and deflates the sleeves at regular intervals. This helps prevent the occurrence of blood clots. You will continue to use these compression stockings while in bed during your hospital stay.
During Your Postoperative Period
In the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)
- After your surgery is completed, you will be taken to the PACU, or recovery room, until you are fully recovered from the anesthesia and your vital signs are stable. Your stay there will be approximately two to three hours.
- When you awake in the PACU, your throat may feel slightly sore. This is because the anesthesiologist placed a breathing tube in your throat during surgery to administer oxygen and anesthetic agents. The soreness will resolve in a day or two.
- While you are in the PACU, the nurses will monitor your vital signs closely. They will observe the surgical sites on an ongoing basis and will assess and manage your pain.
- It is important that you communicate with your nurse regarding any discomfort or nausea you have after your surgery so your medication can be adjusted appropriately.
- You will be expected to get out of bed and walk to the bathroom in the PACU.
- Some patients may be discharged to go home on the day of surgery. Other patients may need to stay in the hospital overnight. This decision is based on many factors including the patient’s condition pre- and post-surgery, the surgical procedure performed, the time of day the procedure was performed, and ability of the patient to be safely cared for at home.
In your private patient room
Once you are fully awake after surgery, if you are staying in the hospital overnight, you will be transferred from the PACU to a private patient room for one day, or as directed by your physician. During your stay, you will be closely monitored and will receive specialized, patient-centered care. You will be expected to get out of bed, sit in a chair and start walking the evening of your surgery. As your recovery progresses, you will walk in the hallway frequently. Walking is necessary as it helps prevent blood clots.