Surgery 3 days away on 02/09/2015

My Surgery is coming up on Tuesday 02/09/2016 at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia. I am wondering what t expect the day of surgery? I am getting very anxious but happy because family has told me I am losing weight which is awesome. I just keep wondering what happens the day of surgery. Any thoughts and comments would be appreciated. Thanks Brad

Well Jerseydude  Congratulations your on your way to a new you!! Can i ask why you are going to Philly and you live in Jersey?  Second is this your first WLS or a revision.  Which WLS are you getting?  Depending on what WLS you are getting they have different protocol example how much you eat, how long you stay in hospital ....oh ok you are getting the SLEEVE  did you see your nutritionist yet for her to better explain what doc office want you to eat.  

What happens the day of surgery  wellll you have surgery (just kidding just trying to make you relax) yu go in register yourself in  than you go to your area and change your clothes to a gown opened in the front u get hooked up to iv's you meet the doc that is going to put you to (lolol) (he's my favorite)  then the nurses try to make you comfortable while they are puttiing all the vitamins and antibiotic and fluids in to the iv's then your doc comes in ask if your ready how r u feeling ect ect make some small talk or jokes before you know it they are waking you up (lol) i like that part too..  HEHEE..  I believe the sleeve unlike the band is a two day stay so they can monitor your staples make sure there is no leaks that you are drinking liquids ect ect this is when you relax sleep i bring my magazines i set up visitors to come at certain times throughout the day so i wont get board i brought my kindle so i can catch up on all the book i have on it but havent been able to  and i watch my favorite shows make sure your TV is on.  As you can probably tell i like surgery sshhhhh ( the sleeping part ) lol...  then you get served your meal which is tea apple juice water and broth lol  thats what you will e eating for the first two weeks than the next two weeks you will be able to drink shakes creamier fluids and so on as so on as you watch the weight fall off  YEAHHHHHHH

 

I hoped this answered some of your questions.  Best wishes to you my fellow sleever i will see you on the other side my surgery is MARCH 1.

Hello and thanks for the detailed email and congrats to you on your surgery as well. The reason I go to Philly is my Liver Doctor is also at Jefferson ( They have a very good program for the liver condition I have) and my Hepatoligist (liver Doc) suggested me to the WLS program there at Jefferson. Plus the liver and Bariartic docs are working toghther on my care. I have been on a pre op liquid diet for almost 2 weeks so I already have lost weight. I wish you all the success and hope your dreams come true

You as well jerseydude!!!!

 

That is awesome that both docs are working together  !!! i wont go into anymore detail  (cause i know i can be forever) but both my bariatric doctor and my Pain Management and Neurosurgeon are on the same page i hve real bad back problems and it will definately benefit to get this weight off my buttocks  lololol

 

 

Keep us posted on your surgery bring your phone or i pad  to hospital so you can update us  .....

Congratulations on surgery! My surgery is Monday :)

Congrats! Best decision I have made. I had mine 12/23. I have to admit being anxious waiting for the procedure because my doc was called to another hospital and my anxiety grew just waiting in preop. Fortunately the nursing staff was supportive. Meet your tx team. This alleviated my concerns. My anesthesiologist was young but awesome and my savior. I have to admit the pain immediately after surgery was more than I expected but my team was quick to make me comfortable. You have to speak up if you feel uncomfortable because they should be very responsive. Once I was transferred to my hospital room, things improved and the inpatient staff was supported. Speak up if you need help. That is what they ar. e there for. It will be hard to eat your jello, broth and drink water, but take your time and try your best. Try to walk as soon as you have the strength. This made my recovery and transition to home much easier. Aside from that. Just prep your post op meals, simple broths, jello, Popsicles, protein drinks (4oz- used toddler cups)  and anything else they suggest. Follow your regiment and you will be fine and take the painmeds they prescribe. I returned to work within a 1.5 weeks and transitioned fine. Just stick to their diet suggestions, don't deviate. Constipation may be a problem so milk of magnesia will be your friend. Hope it helps!

My day of surgery I went to the hospital and shortly after I changed into my gown and was in my bed!  They hooked me up to an IV.  The dr, assistant, and anesthesiologist came in and talked to me.  I only had to wait about 45 minutes or so.  They put me on the cart and wheeled me to the OR.  I remember the anesthesiologist asking me about my favorite actor as I was moving to the OR table.  I laid down and about a minute later I was out!  I woke up in recovery and I was just sweating like crazy, lol.  I hear that a lot of people are cold, but I was the exact opposite. I was pretty drugged up, so I don't remember even making it back to my room.  I slept most of the day.  I'm pretty sure I got up to pee and walked around a bit later that night.  It was pretty rough, but you will be fine.  Congrats and good luck!

Here's a list of everything I can remember from surgery day, supplemented by my husband's recollections:

 

• Once you go into the hospital, head to the admittance office and complete whatever paperwork they require. Bring ID, insurance info, a list of your current medications, a copy of advanced directives, and any other papers they will have required in advance.

• You will be directed to the surgical unit waiting room.

• Wait there until a nurse calls your name.

• The nurse will take you to a curtained-off cubicle, which will have a gurney, a chair and a plastic bag for your clothes.

• She or he will direct you to change into a hospital gown, put a paper shower cap over your hair, and put on those ever-so-stylish hospital pressure socks (Their purpose is to help prevent blood clots in your legs from extended immobility.) The nurse will leave while you change. When you're dressed in your stunning new outfit, open the curtain, and wait for the nurse to come back.

• The nurse will settle you onto the gurney in a semi-reclining position if you're not already there.

• Wait around some more.

• Another nurse will come in and take some blood draws from your arm. An IV port will be inserted (usually in your hand or arm) and fluids from the bag hanging on the IV pole next to your bed will be started to keep you hydrated. An oxygen monitor clip will be placed onto your fingertip. An atutomatic blood pressure cuff will be wrapped around your arm. All of these instruments will be attached to a machine that continuously measures your blood pressure, oxygen levels, and heart rate. It beeps a lot. Don't be alarmed. That machine just loves to beep.

• At this point, if someone came with you to the hospital, he or she will be allowed to come in to keep you company.

• Wait around some more.

• More forms will be brought in for you to sign (liability releases -- just what you want to think about right before surgery).

• Wait around some more.

• At some point, your anesthesiologist will visit you for a few minutes to tell you what he'll be using to keep you comfortable before, during, and after surgery.

• When your surgeon is ready for you, they'll move you fast.

• Your gurney will be wheeled out of the cubicle, down various corridors, and finally into the OR. It's very bright and cold in there. Ask for blankets if you're cold.

• There will be lots of hustle and bustle around you as the team preps the instruments.

• A little something relaxing will be injected into your IV. It's very soothing. Mmmmmmm.

• Your surgeon will come in masked and gowned. He'll make sure you're you and say a few encouraging words.

• An anesthesia mask will be placed over your face. You'll be told to breathe deeply. A few breaths later, you'll be out cold.

• While you're under anesthesia, the surgical team will intubate you; that is, insert a narrow tube down your throat and into your trachea. This is a precautionary step to keep your airway open during surgery. If your surgeon wants a urinary catheter inserted, they'll do that too. I don't remember anything being said about a catheter in my case. If they used one, it was removed before I regained consciousness. Don't worry that you'll be too heavy for them to do this. They've done it a hundred times before.

• You will wake up in the recovery room. You'll be very woozy. Your first coherent thought will be "I'm alive!" Then, "I did it! I'm sleeved!" These are very pleasant and reassuring thoughts!

• At some point while still you're still woozy, the nurses will remove the intubation tube. It will feel a little weird but it won't hurt. Sometimes it's removed before you wake up. Your throat will feel very sore. It will take a few days until the soreness goes away.

• You will have a drainage tube dangling from one of the small incisions in your abdomen. It shouldn't hurt, but it's kind of gross looking.

• As if what you were wearing wasn't already sexy enough, you'll find inflatable "pressure boots" wrapped around your lower legs. They automatically inflate and deflate to prevent blood clots in your legs.

• Nurses will keep coming to you and asking in unnecessarily loud voices how you feel. Tell them if you feel nauseated or are in pain (you probably won't be; you'll still be flying high from the anesthesia). But if you find that you're in any distress, the nurses can inject meds into your IV to help you feel better.

• When you're recovered enough to know what's going on around you and can be raised to a sitting position, they'll wheel you to your hospital room, where you'll rest for a little while. You'll still be hooked up to that beeping machine. It lives to beep. You will just have to endure it till the nurse comes in and fixes whatever is making it beep -- empty IV bags, gremlins, whatever. There will be a call button attached to your bed rail to call the nurses if you need them. Rest for a while and contemplate the future. You probably won't feel like reading, watching TV, or playing with your laptop. You'll still be a bit too woozy do much of anything. Over the next few hours, your alertness will increase and you'll feel pretty much like yourself again.

• You will be given a plastic device called an Incentive Spirometer. It looks sort of like a small plastic water pitcher with a short hose attached. Your nurse will show you how to use it. It's designed to help you breathe deeply despite the discomfort from your abdomen. You need to start breathing normally and deeply again to prevent pneumonia. You should use it several times an hour. You get to keep it for your very own and take home to use there.

• About four hours or so after your surgery, nurses will come in and help you to your feet and guide you to the bathroom for your first walk and a very welcome bathroom break.

• When you're back in bed, you'll probably sleep for a while.

• You may have one of those push-button painkiller med dispensers. Use it if necessary. You'll feel stiff, and your incision sites will feel sore. You may have pain, especially in your shoulders, from the gas they used in the OR to inflate your abdomen. Sitting upright and walking frequently helps dispel this gas.

• Nurses will come in at regular intervals to inject you with blood thinners and painkillers, check your IV, replace empty IV bags with full ones, and do other sundry chores.

• Once you're fully awake, you can start to take charge of your own recovery. This is where the "walk, walk, walk" advice kicks in. Get up and walk around slowly and carefully in the hallway every half-hour to an hour. You'll be glad you have your PJ bottoms on if you decided to bring them. You'll have to roll your IV pole along with you. Your sleep that night will be broken up by nurses taking your vital signs and administering medications. Use those breaks to take short walks before going back to sleep.

• This next step was not done by my surgeon but is commonly performed the following morning. You'll be wheelchaired to a room where the surgeon or another doctor will give you a tiny amount of barium solution to drink while observing your new stomach on a fluoroscope to determine if there are any leaks along your incision line. Usually, the line holds just fine.

• Back in your room, having passed the leak test, you'll be given two ounces of water to drink. It will take you a long, long time to get it down. Take heart. Your ability to drink liquids will increase dramatically over the next day or two as your stomach swelling starts to diminish. This is when the "sip, sip, sip" advice kicks in.

• At some point during the day after the surgery, your surgeon will examine you and ask questions about how you're feeling. He'll then determine whether you can go home that day or need to stay one more night. Nearly everyone can go home the day after surgery.

• If you're to be discharged that day, the nurses will remove the drainage tube. Sometimes you have to go home with it, in which case you'll be instructed how to take care of it. If they remove the tube in the hospital, it will feel very strange but shouldn't hurt. They'll start unhooking you from the infernal beeping machine, and the IV will be removed from your arm.

• You'll get dressed in your own comfortable clothes and wait around some more.

• A nurse will give you more forms to sign. They'll also go over a list of discharge instructions, which you will take home with you. These instructions tell you what you can and can't do in the first few weeks following surgery and when to call your surgeon should any complications crop up.

• Wait around some more.

• The nurses will help you into a wheelchair (don't bother telling them you can walk out; the hospital's liability insurance demands that you be wheeled out). They'll wheel you out to the entrance where your designated driver will pick you up and take you home. Use that pillow you remembered to put in the car to hold against your stomach to cushion it from bumps in the road.

• When you get home, do a little victory dance in your head, go to bed, and take a nice, well-deserved, beepless nap. Then get busy recovering.

 

 

I didn't have my Bariatric surgery at Jefferson, but did have another surgery there. I loved the nursing care I received, and that the surgery was successful. 

What I hated what that my surgery was delayed upwards if 5 (read: hungry!!!) hours. While I love the care Jefferson offers, It soured my experience and I refused to go there for my RNY. I hope your experience is better.