How to Prepare for Gastric Bypass Surgery

Consulting the Experts

Visit your doctor. If you are interested in gastric bypass surgery, the first thing you will need to do is visit your doctor to find out whether this is a viable option for you. Your doctor will discuss the advantages and risks associated with the surgery, and will assess your need for the surgery. You will also have to have testing done to ensure that you are a good candidate for the surgery. Discuss alternatives with your doctor. Committing yourself to a healthy lifestyle is the least invasive and least risky way to lose weight. There are other alternatives to gastric bypass. For example, there is the gastric sleeve, which works in a similar way to gastric bypass, but is a much less-invasive outpatient procedure.

Consult a specialist. Ask for a referral to a specialist in bariatric surgery. Your doctor may set up the specialist consultation for you, or you may need to contact them yourself. Ask your specialist about what pre- and post-op resources the hospital offers to its bariatric surgery patients. The more support you have, the better. Ask your specialist how experienced they are with the surgery. Just because a surgeon has less experience doesn’t mean they are not a good surgeon. However, more experienced surgeons may know how to deal with complications better. Ask about complication rates. Find out how many of your specialist’s patients ended up dealing with complications after the surgery. The national average for complications related to gastric bypass surgery is 3.6%. Ideally, your specialist’s complication rate will be below that percentage. Ask about your surgeon's board certification and if their hospital is a Bariatric Center of Excellence. Ask your specialist about the expected weight loss and in what time period. You should also ask about the recovery period more generally.

See a nutritional counselor. A big part of getting gastric bypass surgery involves learning how to live your life after the surgery is complete. The size of your stomach will be much different than it was before, and this will mean you have to change how and what you eat. Nutritional counseling will help you learn how to deal with these changes. For example, you will learn that, as a result of the surgery, your body will not be able to absorb all the calories from the foods you eat. Thus, you will have to make sure that you are eating the right foods to keep you healthy. You will also learn that your meals will need to be smaller. You might also learn that eating too many carbohydrates and/or sugary foods is likely to make you sick after your surgery.

Seek counseling. You may need to have a psychological evaluation conducted preoperatively. This is to find out if you are emotionally prepared for the life change required by this type of surgery. If it is not required by your doctor, it may still be a good idea to search for a counselor to help you prepare. Receiving counseling may also be helpful for figuring out reasons behind your obesity. For example, if you believe that you are an "emotional eater" a counselor might be able to show you healthier ways to cope with stress.

Getting Yourself Physically Ready

Stop smoking. If you are a smoker you should plan to quit several weeks before you get the surgery. If at all possible, you should plan to quit forever. Smoking will make it more difficult for your body to recover, with an increased rate of postoperative complications, including wound infections and pneumonia. Quitting smoking is not easy to do, but it will be a good step towards living a healthier lifestyle. If you are interested in quitting smoking, talk to your doctor. They can offer you different ideas about how to successfully quit. You can also enlist the support of friends and family, who can help keep you on track. If you have tried quitting in the past, try a different method of quitting than the ones you have used in the past.

Follow your doctor’s instructions. Tell your doctor about any and all medications you are taking, and ask which ones you should continue taking and which ones you should stop taking. Make sure you also know when you should stop taking them, and when you will be able to start taking them again after surgery. Additionally, your doctor will likely instruct you to switch to a liquid diet about two weeks before your scheduled surgery. Tell them about everything you are taking, no matter how insignificant it may seem. Don’t forget about any vitamins and herbal supplements you take. Some medications can make it more difficult for your blood to clot, which can be dangerous when you are undergoing major surgery. If you are asked to switch to a liquid diet, your health care team will likely provide you with a list of liquids that you can consume during this time. If they don’t, be sure to ask what is OK and what is not. Switching to a liquid diet will help your body prepare for what your diet will be like in the weeks following the surgery.

Prepare your home. When you get home from your surgery you will probably be tired and in some pain. The day before your surgery, make sure you prepare everything you will need so that you can relax and rest when you return. If you have stairs in your home, you may want to make sure that you have everything you need to live downstairs for the first couple of weeks. It may be painful to walk up stairs for awhile, so having everything you need downstairs might be a good idea. For example, make sure that the bed where you will rest is made up with clean sheets. Make sure that the TV is set up and ready to watch and that you have lots of movies to keep you entertained. You may want to put your laptop, e-reader, or tablet by your bed and make sure the battery is charged, and have the charger plugged in as well. Make sure that you have plenty of the liquids that have been approved by your doctor ready to go. For example, make sure you have fat-free milk, fruit drinks, and clear high protein soups. The last thing you will want to do is go shopping after you leave the hospital.

Avoid eating and drinking. Your doctor will instruct you when to stop eating and drinking, but typically you will need to fast starting at midnight the day before surgery. If you have any medication you have been instructed to take on the day of surgery, take the medication with a small sip of water. You are not allowed to eat or drink because you will be receiving general anaesthesia. This is what puts you to “sleep” during the surgery. There is a risk of vomiting during surgery at the induction of anesthesia, which could cause any food or liquid to go into your lungs and cause lung damage and infection.

Pack a bag. If your hospital allows it, you may be able to bring some of your own clothes from home that you can wear during your recovery in the hospital. If you can, and want to, pack a bag with everything you will need in the hospital. Stick to loose, pajama like clothing. Comfortable sweat pants, loose t-shirts, and a comfy bathrobe may help you feel a little more like yourself during your recovery. Don’t forget to pack toiletries, such as a toothbrush and comb. Your hospital may have these on hand, but it can be nice to have some of your own things. You will be encouraged to do a bit of walking after your surgery, so pack a pair of non-slip slippers if you want to. Don’t forget to pack something you can use to entertain yourself. Bring along a book, an e-reader, crosswords, or even a coloring book with some crayons so you have something to do if you get bored.

Feeling Mentally Prepared

Discuss the surgery with your family and friends. Talk to your close family and friends about why you are having the surgery. Be honest with them about why you feel you need it, and what the benefits and risks are. You can say something like, “I’ve discussed it with my doctor and we have agreed that having gastric bypass surgery is a good option for me. I have tried to lose the weight in other ways, but I haven’t been successful. I want to live a long and healthier life, so I’m going to have the surgery. I hope that you will be able to support me through this journey.” Having a strong support system after the surgery will be very beneficial to you and your recovery.

Plan for recovery. You will spend a few days recovering in the hospital, but most of your recovery will happen at home. If you live alone, ask a close friend or family member if they can come over a few times a day to check on you and/or help you out around the house. Talk to your doctors and nurses about what you can and shouldn’t do in the first days after going home. They will provide you with information on how to care for your surgery wounds, what you can eat and/or drink for the first days and weeks. You can then stock your home with everything you will need so you don’t need to go out shopping for awhile. Don’t forget to arrange a way to get home from the hospital. Ask a friend or family member, or arrange a taxi that will come pick you up.

Arrive early for surgery. You will probably receive very explicit instructions about what to do on the day of surgery, but it is always better to be too early than too late. Therefore, plan to arrive at least 2 hours before your surgery is scheduled. Showing up well before your surgery is scheduled will help you take care of everything you need to with as little stress as possible. Don’t forget to factor in commute time. If you are driving to the hospital remember to think about what time of day you will be travelling. For example, consider whether or not you will need to go to the hospital in the middle of rush hour traffic. If so, plan to go even earlier to beat the traffic.

Relax and stay calm. Having surgery can be very scary, but do the best you can to stay relaxed and calm in the hours before your surgery. If you have any questions, be sure to get them answered now. Spend time enjoying the company of any family/friends who have accompanied you to the hospital. If you are feeling really nervous try doing something to help yourself relax. For example, you could meditate quietly, read something you enjoy, or watch television. Do whatever helps you relax.

Do your research. Gastric bypass surgery is done to help people struggling with obesity to lose weight. Typically, this option is only available to those whose life is being threatened by their obesity and who have tried to lose weight using less invasive methods. Generally, you must have a body mass index (BMI) over 40. People with a BMI between 35 and 39 might be eligible if they are also suffering from an obesity-related life-threatening illness (e.g. type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, or high blood pressure). There are two methods for conducting the surgery. The preferred method is called laparoscopic surgery, and involves conducting the surgery through 5 or 6 small abdominal incisions. The second kind, open surgery, is less common, and involves making a larger incision into the abdomen to perform the procedure. The laparoscopic method is the preferred method because it reduces pain and recovery time. In some cases, perhaps because of previous surgeries, it may not be possible to perform the surgery this way. Don't go into surgery without knowing which method your surgeon plans to use, but be aware that a laparoscopic operation may have to be converted to an open operation to complete the surgery or deal with complications.

Plan lifestyle changes. Gastric bypass is not a fix-all for obesity. Though it will help you deal with your obesity, you must also make significant changes to your lifestyle in order for the procedure to be successful. For example, you will need to commit yourself to eating healthy and exercising. Additionally, you will have to commit yourself to long-term health monitoring. This might include regular health checks to make sure you are getting enough nutrients and sticking to a healthier lifestyle.

Be financially prepared. Your insurance may or may not cover the costs of the surgery so be sure to check with your health insurance provider. Remember that you will probably need to take time off from work to recover from your surgery so make sure that you will be able to do so. In some cases your insurance may not cover the costs of the surgery. If this is true in your case, talk to your doctor’s office about payment plans.