Surgery questions

Four days until surgery, getting really nervous and have some questions.

Which antibiotic do they put you on in the hospital?  Do they start that right before the surgery or after?

Do you move yourself onto the operating table?

How long are you on the operating table before you are knocked out?

Do they wake you up purposely in recovery, or let you sleep it off?

When you wake up, are you covered w/blankets and stuff? (I ask because my father will probably be there at some point after I wake up, and I want to make sure my chest is covered since I won't be wearing a bra)

Did you have any visitors, on post op day two, in the hospital?

Thanks, guys! :)

These are questions to ask your bariatric clinic. I'm having a 2 hour class at my clinic today to go over all of those types of questions and I'm sure many others. I can't say that your hospital has the same procedures as mine. Can you call your doctor's office and ask?

I don't remember what antibotic mine started before.

I think I moved myself onto the table but honestly I don't remember.
They let me wake  up on my own.
Yes I was covered. I had vistors the whole time except for the time during surgery.

 I wish I had all the answers for you but my surgery is Tuesday so I'm there with you! I know they start you on IV antibiotics when they are prepping you. They will mind your dignity and keep you covered no visitors will see you exposed. Recovery they will observe when you naturally wake up and you'll still feel very sleepy and out of it. Going into surgery you'll be asleep before you know it! Best wishes to you! 

 Okay - first of all relax, if you've chosen the right surgeon and gotten this far, everything is going to be fine.
I don't know anything about the antibiotics.
I didn't move onto any table. I was hooked up on monitors and then next thing I woke up in recovery fully covered with blankets (I think it was chilly).
I didn't want visitors, didn't tell anyone I was having surgery.
Hope this helps.

In terms of the antibiotic it depends, I am allergic to penicillian so it was some other type. It starts in the or I believe. You move yourself onto the table and it wasn't even a minute before I was knocked out. You wake up when you are ready to and you are completely covered, hospital gown, blankets, socks, etc. My Mom was in preop with me until I left for the or and then she was allowed in recovery and she spent the night in my hospital room and was with me until I was discharged. Hope this helps, but all hospitals are different, don;t be afraid to ask any and all questions.

Teri-Lynn
POI

I don't remember what antibiotic.

Two nurses hellped me move onto the table.  It was really cold in there and they covered me with heated blankets. 

I'd say it was less than ten minutes before I was knocked out.

I don't think anyone woke me but it's hard to remember.

I had heated blankets again when I woke up.  And you'll wake up in recovery and no visitors are allowed in there.  Your dad won't see you until you get to your room.

I had no visitors on day two, I went home on day two.  On the first day,  my mother and a friend came to visit, plus my partner was there the whole time.

I just had my surgery Monday. I am unsure of the antibiotic. I did haev to scoot over onto the table with the help of a few nurses and then they put warm blankies on me. I was given some oxygen and was out within 5 minutes of being wheeled into the room. I woke up in recovery long enough to cough and get the tube removed from my throat (no visitors in recovery). I awoke later in my room to my hubby and grandma. I was completely covered with blankets but kicked them off and never used them again. I was warned I would be freezing after surgery but I was so hot I had to get them to put a fan on me.

No idea about antibiotics.

Yes on the blankets. Even on the operating room, they expose only what they need to expose, and everything is covered up when they're done.

My wife says that I woke up on my own in the recovery room. She says I had a hilarious conversation with her; I was talking like I was drunk. That was obviously the anesthesia wearing off. I remember absolutely nothing of that time until waking up in my own room a few hours later.

Other than a spouse or parent or something, regular visitors are ok once you're in your regular room, limited mostly by the hospital's visiting hours and your own feelings.

DISCLAIMER:  I haven't had WLS (yet), but I have had several other surgeries (gall bladder removal, two c-sections, an ankle surgery), and from my experience, some things are kind of universal when it comes to surgery in general.

In the prep stage, you'll change into a hospital gown, put on your socks (if you brought your own; I've always been told I could bring my own socks) or they will supply some for you, and an IV will be started.  Usually at that time, you're hooked up to IV fluids, and the antibiotic and any other meds are given.  There are many antibiotics they can use, and the surgeon will put you on whatever he thinks is appropriate.  You'll be asked numerous times if you're allergic to penicillin (sp), and if you are, they WON'T give you that!  I think you usually receive a mild sedative to relax you, so your pre-surgery anxiety is reduced.  Any other prep work is done, such as shaving the surgical site, if necessary.  (Don't really remember about the gall bladder, if my belly was shaved, or not.  For men, it probably is for sure.)  I've always been offered blankets also, since hospital temps are usually kept very low. 

The only waiting time I've experienced is the wait until being wheeled to the surgery suite.  This usually isn't too long, although it probably varies depending on the doctor's and hospital's schedules.  During the waiting time, I've always been allowed to have my husband with me.  That always helped me a lot!

Once you're taken into surgery, things move really fast, because they've gotten everything ready for the surgery to begin.  You'll slide onto the surgical table (with help, of course), they'll start doing their last minute prep work on you,such as draping you with disposable sheets, and the anesthesiologist will be right there at your head, explaining what he/she will be doing.  Within a few minutes, you'll get the anesthesia through your IV, the oxygen mask will be placed over your face, and you'll be out within seconds.  As others have said, the next thing you'll know is waking up in the recovery room.

You'll find yourself covered in heated blankets, and probably very groggy.  The only time I ever felt any pain in recovery was a gynecological procedure I had done a couple of years ago, when I woke up with throbbing knees, because I have bad arthritis, and they had been bent into the stirrups for the duration of the surgery!  There was a nurse close by, monitoring me, and she gave me pain meds pretty quickly, and I conked out again for a little while. 

While you're in recovery, they'll be checking your vital signs, and observing you to be sure you're in good shape, then you'll be taken to your room.  You'll always be covered with a hospital gown, sheets and blankets.  Hospitals are usually very good about protecting your modesty!

As I said, I haven't had WLS surgery yet, so these are just my overall surgical experiences.  I hope you will be able to relax and not get too nervous about your surgery.  Once you get to the hospital, time will probably fly by, and it'll all be over before you know it!  The main thing is to trust your doctor, and the hospital staff, because it's their job to take care of you, and most will bend over backwards to make you comfortable and help you get through it, not only physically, but psychologically as well.

Best wishes to you!