Introduce myself & anyone else scheduled for 5 May?

Londoner · April 28, 2006

Hi all

I have been lurking here for several months learning lots from all of you, and am now scheduled for lap band surgery next Friday 5 May in Belgium with Dr Bruno Dillemans.

- Is anyone else getting banded on or around the same date?

- Is anyone else from London, or the UK?

- Has anyone else been banded by Dr Dillemans?

One minute I am excited and the next I am anxious ... I just wish it were the morning of surgery already.

Thank you all!

xo

Suzi D · April 28, 2006

Londoner-

Don't be worried At ALL! The surgery itself is a breeze if you have a great surgeon. One bit of advice; be sure and ask your doctor for a pain prescription to have on standby after surgery incase you need it. My doctor automatically gives all of his patients Loratab liquid and it helped so much. The first week you can expect a little discomfort. I had a pretty bad pain in my left side due to all the gas they pumped into me to be able to do the surgery laproscopically. That was really the worst of it, and that only lasted about a week. Also, be sure to strictly stick to any diet restrictions your doctor gives you prior surgery. This also helps to alleviate any unnecessary pain. Best of luck to you!

Londoner · April 28, 2006

Thanks Suzi!

Great advice about the pain meds... will definitely ask for some of those particularly as I'm going back to work quite quickly. My surgeon hasn't put me on any pre-op diet though - I was interested to find out if anyone else has had no pre-op diet?

I know this is a U.S. site so it's not likely that many people here will go to Belgium for their banding, but I'd love to know if anyone else was banded by Dr Dillemans and if his usual approach is to do no pre-op diet?

This site is so much better than anything I've found based out of the UK so hope you all don't mind a foreigner in your midst! I've noticed a few other foreigners too so they must have come to the same conclusion.

xo

Elisabethsew · April 28, 2006

Some MDs use pre-op diets and others do not. As a general rule, if you weigh over 300 pounds or if you have high cholesterol, your MD may want to place you on a low fat, low carb diet to shrink the liver. When you eat a lot of fats, the liver becomes enlarged and fatty. This obscures the surgical field. Talk to your MD about what he/she prefers.