Laparoscopic gastric banding - discharge

When You Were in the Hospital:

You had laparoscopic gastric banding surgery to help with weight loss. Your surgeon placed a band around the upper part of your stomach to separate it from the lower part. The upper part of your stomach is now a small pouch with a narrow opening that goes into the larger, lower part of your stomach. The surgery was done using a camera placed in your belly. The camera is called a laparoscope. This type of surgery is called laparoscopy.

What to Expect at Home:

You will lose weight quickly over the first 3 to 6 months. During this time, you may have body aches, feel tired and cold, have dry skin, mood changes, and hair loss or hair thinning. These problems should go away as your body gets used to your weight loss and your weight becomes stable. Weight loss slows down after 12 to 18 months.

Diet:

Wound Care:

Change the dressings (bandages) every day until your doctor says you do not need to use them anymore. Change them more often if they get dirty or wet. Gently wash the wound areas with mild soap and water. Pat them dry with a clean towel. Do not rub them dry.

You may remove the wound dressings and take a shower if sutures (stitches), staples, or glue were used to close your skin.

• If tape (Steri-Strips) was used to close your skin, you may want to cover the wound with plastic wrap for the first week before taking showers. Tape the edges of the plastic well to keep water from leaking in.
• Do not try to wash off or peel off the Steri-strips or glue. They will come off fall off on their own.

Do not soak in a bathtub, swimming pool, or hot tub until your doctor tells you it is okay.

Follow-up:

You will have several visits with your doctor, nurse, and dietitian in the first year after surgery.

• You will probably have a visit with your doctor in the first month after your surgery. Your doctor will check your wounds and see how your diet is going.
• After this, your visits will probably be every 1 to 2 months.
• Your goal for weight loss will be about 2 to 4 pounds a week.

The band around your stomach is filled with saline (saltwater). It is connected to a container that is placed under your skin in your upper belly. Your surgeon can make the band tighter or looser by increasing or decreasing the amount of saline in the band. To do this, your surgeon will insert a needle through your skin into an “access port” in the container.

Your surgeon can make the band tighter or looser any time after you have this surgery. It may be tightened or loosened if you are:

• Not losing enough weight
• Having problems eating
• Vomiting after you eat

When to Call the Doctor:

Call your doctor or nurse if:

• Your temperature is above 101 °F.
• Your incisions are bleeding, red, warm to the touch, or have a thick, yellow, green, or milky drainage.
• You have pain that your pain medicine is not helping.
• You have trouble breathing.
• You have a cough that does not go away.
• You cannot drink or eat.
• Your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow.
• Your stools are loose, or you have diarrhea.
• You are vomiting after eating.