During the second clinic visit, which is the visit for preparation for weight loss surgery, you should be mentally prepared for weight loss surgery process. This mental preparation is the best for this kind of surgeries. In addition, physical preparation and checking your investigations are important step during this visit.
The preparation for weight loss surgery includes:
Mental Preparation
- Understand the surgical process and what to expect afterwards.
- Deciding your weight loss surgery.
- Deciding in which hospital you want to be admitted.
- Talk to people who have had weight loss surgery – they can be of great support before, and after surgery.
- Carefully review your guide for nutrition following surgery.
- Continue educating yourself as well as your family and friends about weight loss surgery.
- Explaining your reasons for having the weight loss surgery for yourself and outlining your plans to maintain your weight loss after surgery.
Physical Preparation
- Follow pre-surgery diet instructions strictly.
Before weight loss surgery, it is essential that you follow a very low calorie diet. It includes:
- Fluids: You need to drink at least 2 liters of the following fluids per day:
- Water or mineral water
- Diet soft drink
- Tea, Coffee, Nescafe, etc.
- Skimmed milk
- Vegetable soups
- Fruits except bananas
- Vegetables except potato and sweet potato
- Artificial sweeteners
This will:
- Reduce the size of your liver which would otherwise be in the way
- Help to reduce the risk of complications associated with the surgery
- Lower body fat levels for better access for the surgeon
- Reduce operating time
- Improved physical function and mobility post-surgery
- Stop smoking one week before surgery.
- Start exercise one week before surgery.
Follow directions about taking your regular medications:
- Start taking one multivitamin daily one week before surgery.
- Stop Aspirin, Advil, Celebrex or other pain killer one week before surgery.
- Stop Marevan or other anti-coagulating agents one week before surgery.
- Stop replacement hormones and birth control pills (and find other alternate for birth control) one week before surgery.
- You will require 1 to 3 weeks off from work after your operation – please make arrangements.
- Remember to bring your ID, your investigations and your referral to the hospital on the day of your admission.
- Consider obtaining extra help at home for the first few days after surgery.
- One week before your hospital admission, please call either my accountant or my assistant for hospital booking of your procedure.
- It is understood that you will have had a thorough shower prior to admission, and that you bring along everything you require for your hospital stay.
- If your operation is in the morning, you should not eat or drink from midnight the preceding day. If your operation is in the afternoon, you may have a light breakfast at 6 o’clock in the morning, but fast after that.