I was in surgery 2 hours

[Awkward customer 5]

I had my gastric band on February 11th - and felt very bad on the 12th, and much better today. I am still wondering - isn't the operation meant to be one hour only? I went in about 4:30pm and didn't wake up until 6:30pm. The doctors said it went well, but does the length of the operation mean there is something they're not telling me? I have 2 little scars on either side of my stomach, left and right, that they didn't put dressings on, and then two big dressings on wounds in the middle. I haven't taken the dressings off yet of course but the size of the dressings makes me think I will have two bigger scars as well as the two little ones. I thought there was only meant to be one bigger-size scar. Did anything go wrong?

[lovelyLorna 0]

I have 4 little holes and a 2 inch one where they put the port. I don't think you need to worry that the 2 hours time period means something is wrong. BUT it is your body so ASK the doctor. The surgery is usually an hour but that doesn't mean you wake up instantly.

[Awkward customer 5]

Thank you. I'll ask them. I'm three pounds lighter than I was 2 days ago! I just can't wait until the dressings are off and the pain all gone!

[Trixie573 0]

Are you sure you were in surgery the whole 2 hours? I went in at 8 and woke up at 10, but I was in the recovery room for over an hour before I woke up.

[crzytchr 3]

The surgery probably took an hour or less, and the rest of the time was in recovery. If you think there may have been a problem, ask. If anything unusual occurred, they probably would've told whoever was with you.

[BetsyB 9]

I understand your concerns. The best way to have them allayed is to ask the doctor.

Most of the time away from your room is spent in the recovery room. For most patients, time in the recovery room is a foggy memory at best! My surgery started around 1:30, and I didn't get to my room until around 4:30. The delay didn't have anything to do with surgical complications; they were waiting for someone to be discharged and my room to be cleaned!

The surgery itself took about 45 minutes. I was awake and aware for much of the recovery room time--dozing, but lucid when awake---and was aware of the discussion about my room readiness, etc.

I would wager that most of the time you spent away from your room was in recovery, too--sleeping. But ask! I've never known a surgeon to withhold important intraoperative information from patients.

ETA: I have 5 incisions; nothing went wrong. It's just my doctor's surgical approach.

Do you have a reason to believe something went wrong, or are you just surprised by how cruddy you feel? I don't think there's a way, really, to be prepared for postop discomfort. We all know we're going to have it, but it's just so much different when we DO have it.

In your shoes, I'd try to reframe my thinking. Instead of focusing on the what's-wrong side of the coin, I'd flip it. You've had abdominal surgery, and are doing astoundingly well. You're home, you're recuperating, and you're on the way to a much healthier life!

Edited February 13, 2010 by BetsyB

[SoccerMomma73 1,867]

I was in surgery 45 minutes and recovery for about 5 hours...couldn't stop dry heaving, it was lovely. I also have 5 incisions, 3 tiny, 2 about 1.5-2 inches, just how my surgeon does it. But yes, if you're concerned ask, or wait and request a copy of your operative report, it will have the start and finish times on it.

[hallyc 0]

My husband was in surgery for 2 hours. I was in the waiting room and they gave me a privacy number for him. They had a screen in the waiting room with patients privacy number and a color band across their number. Green, operating room. Pink, recovery room and Purple, post surgery (taken to room). His number was green was 2 whole hours. The doctor came to talk to me and told me that he was being wheeled in the recovery room and he did wonderful! They put a mesh patch over his port to help it from not moving around in the future. He would be more sore while healing, but he believes it is worth it in the long run. There was absolutely no problem with the surgery, just that it was a 2 hour surgery. Recovery, however was only 45 minutes and he looked absolutely great by the time I saw him 1 hour exactly after surgery. He is 2 days out and still very, very sore and not hungry. No apetite whatsoever. Hope that's normal.

[Awkward customer 5]

My husband was in surgery for 2 hours. I was in the waiting room and they gave me a privacy number for him. They had a screen in the waiting room with patients privacy number and a color band across their number. Green, operating room. Pink, recovery room and Purple, post surgery (taken to room). His number was green was 2 whole hours. The doctor came to talk to me and told me that he was being wheeled in the recovery room and he did wonderful! They put a mesh patch over his port to help it from not moving around in the future. He would be more sore while healing, but he believes it is worth it in the long run. There was absolutely no problem with the surgery, just that it was a 2 hour surgery. Recovery, however was only 45 minutes and he looked absolutely great by the time I saw him 1 hour exactly after surgery. He is 2 days out and still very, very sore and not hungry. No apetite whatsoever. Hope that's normal.

Thank you for your reply! Yes, I think it must be normal to have low appetite afterwards, as I don't feel too much like eating, but I think he will need to eat to get the Proteins etc that he needs. I have had a cream of Tomato Soup today - that was very taste, and very appropriate for the liquid diet post-op. Maybe you can try that.

[Mommiex6 0]

I was in surgery for 3 hours, have 7 incisions, and was in recovery for 1.5 hours. i did a bit of dry heaving after i got to my room, so bad i thought my port was gonna rip thru my skin for schnizzle.. i had numerous past surgeries that had left a lot of adhesions and scar tissue for my doc to get thru so he decided to clean it all up for me! Probably a bit more painful now for me but in the long run it for the best!! my doc immediately explained my length in the or, and i didnt even realize the time till it was 5 hours out - so prob just the anesthesia keeping me loopy lol!

[lovelyLorna 0]

Thank you. I'll ask them. I'm three pounds lighter than I was 2 days ago! I just can't wait until the dressings are off and the pain all gone!

Congrats on the weight lost! I am 3 wks post surgery (1/25) and the first 2 weeks have been a breeze for me. (Other that being allergic to the glue they used for sealing. Hurt & itch beyond belief!!) Unfortunately, now I am in the mush stage and actually I can eat most things and larger amounts without any problem. I am having a hard time controlling myself. BUT I will somehow because I do not want to fail at this. I get my first fill March 4.

[BarbaraWM 0]

My doctor told me my surgery took 11 minutes from the first incision to closing the port incision. I was probably in the operating room for close to an hour total and in recovery for several hours, at least two of which I don't really remember. The PA from my doctor's office told me she came to see me in recovery and we had a conversation but I have no recollection of it at all.

[mominkansas 2]

Did you have a hernia repair as well?