Lap Band surgery is one of three standard bariatric surgery procedures. Other common bariatric procedures include gastric bypass surgery and gastric sleeve surgery. Compared to other popular weight loss surgeries, Lap Band surgery is performed in the shortest time, and the intraoperative complication rate is shallow. It is important to remember that complication rates may be higher after Lap Band surgery than other surgeries. Recovery from Lap Band surgery is easier compared to other procedures.

What Happens on the Day of Surgery

You will receive an IV and compression stockings before you begin surgery. The IV will administer anesthesia, fluids, and antibiotics before, during, and after surgery. The socks provide compression on and off to your lower legs to prevent blood clots. After you sign your consent form, you will be given some medicine, and your anxiety will begin dissipating. Anesthesiologist and nurse, you go to the specialist who will put you under general anesthesia.

After Lap Band Surgery

You wake up in the Post-Anesthesia Acute Care Unit within 20 to 30 minutes. Your PACU nurse will check on you and make sure you are comfortable. Some surgeries are done on an outpatient basis. If this is the case, you will either stay in the PACU or be transported to the recovery room. If your surgeon wants you to stay overnight, then you go to your room.

Your surgeon may ask you to get up and take a few steps a few hours after surgery. The nurse may tour the station and ask you to do it later in the evening. This helps significantly with recovery. It reduces pain from CO2 used during surgery (CO2 used during surgery can collect in your abdomen and cause pain in your shoulder for several days) and makes it mobile so you can be home on your own. You will be asked to urinate before you leave the hospital.

Follow your surgeon’s orders, but you can often take small sips of clear liquids. Many surgeons will ask you to do a ‘swallow test.’ This involves drinking a unique white beverage called barium. An X-Ray is then performed to confirm that fluids have passed through the band if there is no stenosis and the band is correctly positioned. If you stay in the hospital overnight, you may receive fluids through an IV. You’ll be sent home from the hospital with discharge instructions, a lung exerciser, painkillers, and possibly some nutritional supplements.

Pain in Lap Band Surgery

The 2nd and 3rd days are the days when you can start to experience pain. The most common spot for pain is located under the ribs on the left side. It would be best if you walked around daily but with little lifting and no strenuous activity. Gas pains may be noticeable, but they usually go away on their own. If you sip your water too fast, you will feel pressure in your chest, so sip slowly and follow your surgeon’s discharge instructions. You’ll likely be limited to wiping out fluids on Day 1, and Days 2 and 3 may allow them to take other fluids. You may also feel some pain in your shoulder from the CO2 used during the surgery. These pains are typical and can be treated with pain medicine prescribed by your surgeon. Call your surgeon if the pain is unbearable at any point, you vomit frequently, have a fever, or have other symptoms that don’t seem right.

Most discharge instructions ask you to walk for about 30 minutes daily for the first week after surgery. You can walk more without undue stress. And move your feet and legs often in the first few days after surgery. This helps in circulation and prevents blood clotting. Do not lift anything heavy or engage in any strenuous activity. After showering, ensure the incision sites (usually 5) are dry and clean. Watch out for the redness. Call your doctor if you’re infected or have a fever. You will probably be asked to use a Spirometer every twenty or thirty minutes. This is a respirator that helps increase the flow of oxygen to the lungs and ensures healthy deep breathing.