Perioperative Care

Day Before Surgery:

  • Shower with antibacterial soap that evening.  Or Hibiclens as directed.
  • Thin liquids and protein shakes, no solid foods.

Day of Surgery:

  • Nothing to eat or drink 4 hours before surgery.
  • Take Celebrex, Gabapentin, and Emend as directed before leaving home or on the way to the hospital.  Place a Scopolamine patch behind the ear.
  • After surgery, drink 2 oz. per hour clear liquids (Phase 1 diet).
  • Pain or nausea should be mild, but will be treated by your nurses.
  • Walk, walk, walk!  Within 2 hours of surgery.  You’ll also have the “squeezers” or SCD’s on your legs.

Day after Surgery:

  • Most patients are discharged home that morning after discharge education by the bariatric coordinator, and after Dr. Suggs rounds on you.
  • Increase liquid intake.
  • Walk, walk, walk!
  • Continue the nonnarcotic pain management protocol.

2 Days after Surgery:

  • Advance to protein shakes and creamier soups (Phase 2 diet).
  • Walk, walk, walk!
  • Continue the nonnarcotic pain management protocol.

1-2 weeks after Surgery:

  • Start a complete multivitamin by Day 8.
  • Exercise.
  • Post-op appointment 1-2 weeks after surgery.  May be via telehealth.
  • Advance to the Phase 3 pureed diet.
  • Continue the nonnarcotic pain management protocol.

1 month after surgery:

  • Post-op appointment.  May be via telehealth.
  • Advance to the Phase 4 diet.

You’ll also have routine appointments at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery.  Then, annually thereafter.  Annual sessions with the dietician, or more often as advised.

*See Post-Op Bariatric Diet tab.

This protocol is designed to prevent pain before it happens, make pain less severe than with conventional narcotic use, and decrease nausea all by avoiding the use of narcotic pain medicine.

Please don’t confuse the term “nonnarcotic” to mean that we’re not treating your pain.  Your pain will absolutely be treated.  But, with our protocol, you’ll get better treatment than with conventional narcotic management.

Patients take Celebrex, Gabapentin, and Emend (unless contraindicated) just before surgery.  Pain and nausea medications are given during surgery.  Toradol and IV antinausea medicines are given while in the hospital.  Gabapentin and Celebrex are continued postoperatively together with the antinausea medicines Zofran, Emend, and Scopolamine patch.  Tylenol is used as needed.  These medications are tapered off over the course of 2-3 weeks, but many patients elect to discontinue after just a few days because they have no pain or nausea!

Nonnarcotic Pain Management Protocol

This protocol is designed to prevent pain before it happens, make pain less severe than with conventional narcotic use, and decrease nausea all by avoiding the use of narcotic pain medicine.

Please don’t confuse the term “nonnarcotic” to mean that we’re not treating your pain. Your pain will absolutely be treated. But, with our protocol, you’ll get better treatment than with conventional narcotic management.

Patients take Celebrex, Gabapentin, and Emend (unless contraindicated) just before surgery. Pain and nausea medications are given during surgery. Toradol and IV antinausea medicines are given while in the hospital. Gabapentin and Celebrex are continued postoperatively together with the antinausea medicines Zofran, Emend, and Scopolamine patch. Tylenol is used as needed. These medications are tapered off over the course of 2-3 weeks, but many patients elect to discontinue after just a few days because they have no pain or nausea!

Protein and Supplements

www.bariatriceating.com
www.dietdirect.com
www.unjury.com
www.bariatricadvantage.com
www.celebratevitamins.com
www.mybariatricpantry.com