How long will my hospital stay be after weight loss surgery?

How long will I stay in hospital after my weight loss surgery?

One of the most common questions that patients have when considering weight loss surgery is how long will they need to stay in hospital for. The length of time that you will spend in hospital depends on the type of surgery that you have and your physical health.

If you have a laparoscopic gastric band fitted your hospital stay will usually be 1-2 nights stay and for a laparoscopic gastric bypass you may have a slightly longer stay between 2 and 4 nights. Some patients may also need close observation following gastric bypass and are admitted to the High Dependency Unit immediately post-op usually no longer than one night.

These figures should be used as a guide as if there are any post-operative complications the length of stay could vary.

In general if you are in good health prior to your weight loss procedure you are less likely to have a lengthy hospital stay. Your Bariatric Consultant will advise you of how long he estimates that your stay will be.

Following your operation the Consultant will need to be satisfied that you are fit and can be discharged. You will need to demonstrate that you are able to tolerate fluids, there should be no nausea or vomiting, and that you are able to pass urine and do not have excessive pain. You will be assisted to get out of bed quite soon after your operation as it is important to keeping moving.

You will also have a special X-ray the day after the operation to make sure that the operation has gone to plan, following this you will be allowed fluids.

You will be visited by your Bariatric Nurse Specialist while you are in hospital who will give a contact number should you need advice or have any problems after you have been discharged. It is important that a responsible adult is available to take you home by car. It is not advisable to drive or use public transport after an operation.

For further information or questions you may have about weight loss surgery or other weight management programmes contact Vita Clinics on 0800 849 4050 or go on-line and complete our enquiry form here.

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