How long will I be in the hospital?

• Most patients are in the hospital for three days - you will be admitted on the morning of your surgery and stay for two days after surgery.
• There are some exceptions. Patients with other high-risk illnesses may stay for one to two extra days. Additionally, banding surgeries are performed on an outpatient, same-day basis. Medicare requires an overnight stay for banding clients.

Where will I stay after surgery?

Our newly renovated, fully-private patient rooms were designed with recovery in mind. They have all the comforts of home - including wider recovery chairs, accessible sinks, and private baths. These rooms are in a wing of the hospital dedicated exclusively to weight loss and surgical patients.

When will I go home?

You will be discharged from the hospital when you are well enough to care for yourself or have some assistance available at home. This is typically two days after surgery.

When will I see the doctor again after surgery?

You will be seen in your surgeon’s office 14-21 days after discharge.

When will I begin to lose weight?

Weight loss begins immediately after the operation. Most often, the greatest improvements in health occur in patients who began exercising and eating well before surgery.

How long does the weight loss process take?

The majority of bypass patients continue to lose weight for approximately 12 months. Banding patients lose weight more slowly, over about two years.

In either case, the best results are achieved when patients have realistic expectations and remain committed to their lifestyle changes.

When you go home you will be on a Full Liquid Diet for 2 weeks. This consists of:

• Low fat, low calorie Protein shakes
• Strained low fat cream soup
• Broth
• Yogurt
• Other similar foods

At two weeks post-op you will progress to pureed/soft food. Then solid food at 4 weeks. All patients will take a Bariatric multivitamin, as recommended by your doctor and dietitian, everyday for life.

Weight loss surgeries are major operations, and like all procedures, there is the potential for complications.

Minor Complications

• Mild pneumonia
• Stomal strictures
• Wound healing problems and infection

Major Complications

• Bleeding
• Blood clots in the legs or lungs
• Bowel obstruction
• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Incisional hernia
• Staple line leakage
• Wound infection or abscess

In rare cases, major complications can result in death.