In the Weeks and Days Before Your Procedure
- Purchase any supplies that you will need for recovery.
- Follow your surgeon's instructions regarding medications.
- Recruit an "escort" — a close friend or relative — who can drive you home after surgery and possibly stay with you for several days afterward. The after-effects of anesthesia will likely impair your ability to drive and perform normal functions such as meal preparation, personal hygiene and even walking. You may also need emotional support as your incisions heal and you become accustomed to your new body.
- Fill any postoperative prescriptions.
- Stop smoking for at least 30 days before bariatric surgery. Smoking can make the lungs more sensitive during surgery and may possibly lead to pneumonia. Smoking can also slow the healing process by narrowing the blood vessels and thus restricting the flow of blood to the healing sites. Many surgeons will not operate on patients if evidence exists that they are smokers and even go so far as to require blood or urine testing for nicotine levels before surgery.
- Inform your surgeon if you become sick the day before surgery.
- Refrain from alcohol use for at least 48 hours before bariatric surgery.
- Have a support group in place to help with your aftercare needs.