(B)
Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass Surgery
| Q.
What can I expect when I wake up after surgery? |
A.
When your surgery is finished, you will be moved to the recovery
room where you will wake up. The doctors and the nurses will be
asking you to take deep breaths and monitoring your blood
pressure and pain control. After you are awake and your pain and
nausea is under control, you will be taken to your room. Dr.
Kriplani will be in contact with your family while you are in
the recovery room. Sometimes the anesthetist may decide to
observe you more carefully for monitoring your respiration and
blood pressure in the intensive care unit (ICU). Your family
members can visit you in the ICU once a day.
| Q.
Will I have a lot of pain? |
A. Every attempt is
made to minimize pain after surgery to make it possible for you
to move about quickly and become increasingly active which, in
turn, helps avoid unwanted complications and speeds recovery. A
major advantage of laparoscopic surgery is that it decreases
pain significantly as compared to open surgery. Further, several
drugs are used to help manage your post-surgery pain. While you
are still in the recovery, your anesthetist may use a Patient
Controlled Analgesia (PCA) apparatus, which gives you control
over the frequency of pain medication delivery. Various methods
of pain control are available.
| Q. Will blood
transfusion be required? Should I donate my own blood ? |
A. Generally, blood loss after this surgery is not
significant. Occasionally, unexpected bleeding during surgery
may warrant blood transfusion. It is generally given during
recovery. The down side of giving your own blood is that you
have to wait for 2 weeks for surgery till your blood builds up.
| Q.
Does Laparoscopic Surgery decrease the risk? |
A. The
benefits of laparoscopic surgeries are typically less pain and
discomfort, shorter hospital stays, earlier return to work and
less scarring. By less pain and early ambulation, lung problems
and deep vein thrombosis risk is decreased.
| Q.
What is done to minimize the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
or pulmonary embolism (PE)? |
A. Because a DVT
originates on the operating table, therapy begins before a
patient goes to the operating room. Often, patients are treated
with sequential leg compression stockings and given heparin (a
blood thinner) prior to surgery. Both of these therapies
continue throughout your hospitalization. The third major
preventive measure involves getting the patient out of bed and
moving as soon as possible after the operation to restore normal
blood flow in the legs. Please remember we are all working for
one shared goal; to get you home as fast as possible. You are
expected to get out of the bed the evening of your surgery. Use
your incentive spirometer at least 4 to 5 times a day and walk
around in your room. The next morning, you are expected to move
out of your room in the lobby. It is very important for us to
get your cooperation to achieve this goal.
| Q.
Will there be a drain in after surgery? |
A. Most
patients will have a small tube to allow drainage of any
accumulated fluids from the abdominal space. This is done as a
safety measure and is usually removed in two to three days.
Generally, it produces no more than minor discomfort.
| Q.
Will my gall bladder be removed? |
A. Your gall
bladder will not be removed unless ultrasonography shows that it
contains stones. However you will be given medication for 6
months after surgery to decrease the risk of developing
gallstones due to rapid weight loss.
| Q. How
long will I stay in the hospital? |
A. As long as it
takes to be self-sufficient. Although it can vary, hospital stay
(excluding the day of surgery) can be 3 to 4 days for a
laparoscopic gastric bypass, and 5-7 days for an open gastric
bypass. After leaving the hospital, you may be able to care for
all your personal needs, but will need help with shopping,
lifting and with transportation.
A. For your own safety, you should not
drive until you are no longer taking narcotic medication for
pain and can respond quickly to traffic. Usually this takes 7-14
days after surgery. |
