Day of Surgery

You should not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before your operation.

On the day of surgery, do not take any medications (including heart, blood pressure, and diabetes medications) before seeing the anesthesiologist. She or he will determine which medications to take or to avoid.

The length of your hospital stay will depend on the procedure you have, your overall health, and your surgical outcomes.

Plan to arrive a few hours ahead of your scheduled operation time.

At the hospital, you'll be directed to the surgery area. You will be admitted and provided with a hospital ID band. You will be asked several times to confirm your name, date of birth, and the procedure you will have.

You'll change into hospital gowns, and you will meet with your anesthesiologist and one of the nurses that will be with you during your bariatric procedure. Another weight assessment will be made just before your weight loss surgery. Your body mass index (BMI) will be re-calculated.

You will be escorted to the surgical suite where your procedure will take place. You can expect to spend about one to three hours in surgery. You'll be asleep for most of this time.

After your procedure, you will spend a couple of hours in the recovery area, where specialized recovery nurses will carefully monitor you while the anesthesia wears off. If you experience any pain, nausea or discomfort, your nurse will be there to help you.

You will be assisted with getting out of bed and start moving as soon as safely possible. This helps reduce the risk of developing blood clots and respiratory issues. You will be encouraged to practice breathing exercises that will help clear your lungs.