Weight Loss Surgery Timeline
Preparing for Your Operation
You are strongly encouraged to lose some weight prior to your procedure. It may be difficult to lose weight, but even a few pounds of lost weight prior to the surgery can make for a technically easier and safer operation. Binge eating and weight gain can cause your liver to become engorged with fat, which can make the operation more difficult and injury to the liver more likely.
The day before surgery you should drink only liquids. You should take nothing by mouth after midnight before surgery, except for important medications with a sip of water. Your surgeon and primary care doctor will help you decide what medications are critical prior to surgery.
The staff at Silver Cross Hospital will tell you what time to arrive for your surgery, usually about two hours before surgery is scheduled. During this time you will change into a hospital gown, have an IV started, and meet with your anesthesiologist and surgeon.
The operation will last from 1-3 hours depending on your weight, the operation that is being performed, and any prior surgical history. Your family can wait in the Surgery Waiting Area and your surgeon will find them after the procedure to update them.