Outpatients? No overnight stay

[livingmore 23]

Was anyone's sleeve surgery done outpatient and you were sent home that day?

I am self pay and surgery will be that morning (6/30, yay!) then sent home late that day and will return the following day to have the drain removed in the office.

I haven't seen anyone mention this here and seems like most stay overnight 2 nights.

Do you think this is doable and realistic? Anything you can think if for me to ask my doctor at my last pre-op appt on Wednesday?

Thanks in advance!

[LindafromFlorida 1,542]

I went to the hospital at 1 pm. had surgery a little after 3 pm, and was discharged the next morning after the leak x-ray. I took one pain pill after I got home. I went to the grocery store the second day. I was amazed I was not debilitated lOL, and I sincerely wondered if the doctor pretended to operate on me. I was a little sore. I am 67, and I wish everyone had it so easy. You should be fine. It was nothing like I expected. All we did was eat broth and popsicles for a few days so nothing was hard about it. Good luck!

[JadedMage 39]

DRAIN? whats that mean?

[livingmore 23]

I was told there would be plastic tubing from my largest incision that drains into a little bulb. The next day, 24 hrs after surgery, they will pull the drain out... I think I am almost the most terrified of this, haha!!

[LindafromFlorida 1,542]

Some surgeons use drains. Ours did not.

[CowgirlJane 14,260]

My clinic is very successful and most people are outpatient. I had to stay overnight due to severe sleep apnea (now cured thanks to my sleeve!!!). I personally prefer to avoid hospitals if at all possible... they are for sick people in my book.

[LindafromFlorida 1,542]

My clinic is very successful and most people are outpatient. I had to stay overnight due to severe sleep apnea (now cured thanks to my sleeve!!!). I personally prefer to avoid hospitals if at all possible... they are for sick people in my book.

CowgirlJane, I totally agree. I told our surgeon get me in and out ASAP. I went to the ER and was admitted, out of town, a few moths ago very dehydrated and sick, and within a week I had shingles. In two weeks my son in law had chicken pox. I am 150% convinced it was from the hospital.

[katonaboat 44]

I was not outpatient, but I wish I had been. The day following my surgery, I begged to be released and they grudgingly obliged (my surgeon usually requires a 2 night stay). I felt so much better once I was home and able to manage my own pain medication, get up and walk without having to deal with the iv tubes, go to the bathroom without waiting for a nurse to assist me, etc.

[Gammy10 37]

@@livingmore I had my sleeve done with the same dr as you. I am four days post op. My surgery was around 7:30 that morning, and I was back at the hotel by 3:30 that afternoon. It is definitely doable. The only problem I had was that I had issues with nausea due to being put to sleep (always happens to me). It was really tough getting any fluids down with the nausea, but I managed. I dreaded having the drain out, but there was NO pain and it only took about 30 seconds. Also, they switched my meds around that day to try to help with the nausea, and it made all of the difference. Try not to worry and best of luck to you!

[livingmore 23]

Thank you so much for sharing Gammy10! Prayers for a speedy recovery . I usually do well with anesthesia, so I'm hoping not to have the nausea issues, but I've also never had my stomach partially removed before either, haha!

@@livingmore I had my sleeve done with the same dr as you. I am four days post op. My surgery was around 7:30 that morning, and I was back at the hotel by 3:30 that afternoon. It is definitely doable. The only problem I had was that I had issues with nausea due to being put to sleep (always happens to me). It was really tough getting any fluids down with the nausea, but I managed. I dreaded having the drain out, but there was NO pain and it only took about 30 seconds. Also, they switched my meds around that day to try to help with the nausea, and it made all of the difference. Try not to worry and best of luck to you!

[MistyAnnMoon829 387]

I haven't had my surgery yet, but my Surgeon does it all outpatient, unless there are complications. So I will be in and out in a few hours. I'm pretty sure the post op and discharge will take longer than the actual surgery.

[UPnDOWNinNY 26]

The key here is whether you're paying out of pocket or its covered by insurance. Unfortunately, many hospitals will keep you the extra night(s) because they can bang the insurance company for it; if the patient is paying themselves (a) it's more than most of us can afford and ( they want to make sure they're getting paid. I bet if you look it up, most people released the same day did not have insurance covering the costs.

Edited June 23, 2014 by UPnDOWNinNY

[Katcloudshepherd 630]

My insurance covered the surgery. I paid out of pocket for the 2 night hospital stay--$600.00.

I guess I'm not as tough as I thought I was. No way in heck could I have gone home the same day.

I was up and walking the floor within hours of the surgery. I don't think I would have liked having no constant medical monitoring of my condition. This was my first major surgery so I didn't know how my body was going to react to it.

Best of luck to you. I hope you have a routine surgery.

Kathleen

[bikrchk 1,313]

I was the first patient in on a Monday morning and was released the next morning a day ahead of schedule. There was a HUGE difference between 5 pm the day of and 5 am the next morning, at least for me. I was still a groggy mess from the anesthesia until around 8 pm that first day. So much so that my mother left the hospital in tears about 5 pm, (moms can go a little crazy). She was absolutely shocked when I met her coming out of the elevator, (doing my laps) when she showed up early the next day and told her I was sprung! Literally a night and day transformation overnight for me. I'm not sure same day release something you can plan for or count on as everyone is so different in their response to anesthesia\surgery. I didn't have a drain at all.

[LindafromFlorida 1,542]

My husband and I also had hernias repaired and it did not affect us. I know you will do fine.