Questions I Am Asking My Surgeon at Consent Appointment
I have researched and found so much information on this site. It has been very helpful. I also appreciate all of the comments people have given me on my questions. I wanted to provide the questions I will be asking my surgeon tomorrow when I meet with him to sign the consent form. I thought some of these questions may be useful to others out there looking into the surgery. I am pretty cautious and take this seriously so I have no shame in asking questions. Remember it will be you that has to deal with the changes after surgery.
-how many people are in OR for my surgery? Who are they?
-any chance that a capsule pill would get stuck in stomach shortly after surgery because of stomach swelling?
-is stomach opening width about a pencil size in diameter after surgery due to swelling? How long will it be like this?
-do you put patients in reverse trendelenburg position during and or surgery? I have read studies that talk of possible benefits of this relating to ventilation, improving oxygenation, and less risk of an upper stomach leak.
-Do you put the wraps on lower legs during surgery to lessen risk of clot?
-do you catheter and when do you remove?
-What bougie size do you use? I looked at the below article.
2013 Study
In a 2013 study, researchers wanted to find out if there is an ideal bougie size. To do this, they did a search of medical literature published in the last 5 years and analyzed 32 publications involving 4,999 patients.
What they found:
- The use of bougies 40F and larger had a leak rate of 0.92% and excess weight loss of 69.2%.
- The use of bougies smaller than 40F had a leak rate of 2.67% and excess weight loss of 60.7%.
The results show that larger sizing bougies had a lower incidence of leaks with no change in weight loss. The researchers call for further studies before a decision is made on optimal bougies size, but recommend caution in using the smallest bougie possible because the risks may outweigh the benefits.
Stricture rate was also higher in bougie less than 40F
(Study: The Effects of Bougie Caliber on Leaks and Excess Weight Loss Following Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy. Is There an Ideal Bougie Size? Obes Surg. 2013 Aug 3. [Epub ahead of print])
-when will be the first time after surgery that I can consume liquid?
-how long is surgery?
-how long in recovery before patient wakes up?
-when can I see my wife?
-will I see you before or after surgery?
-the day after surgery do I drink the liquid that shows if there are leaks?
-how long do I need to be on the lookout for a complication?
how will I know if I am having a complication that needs to be addressed?
