Question:
Isn't WLS more dangerous without a bowel prep????
My doctor doesnt recommend a bowel prep before surgery just to eat light the week before! Okay...Isnt it more dangerous for the patient to have it that way and take a chance that the bowel contents spill inside your abdomin during surgery and cause a major infection or god forbid Periontitis? — Vicki R. (posted on June 2, 2003)
June 2, 2003
My surgeon did not require one either. He is a general surgeon and has
done many abdominal surgeries. He says that over the years he just learned
that it simply isn't necessary.
BE GLAD! You'll be fine!!!
Good Luck!
— Maya D.
June 2, 2003
Ditto the first answer you got. My surgeon said that whatever is left in
the bowels is so low in the bowel, it's no-where near where he will be
working and highly unlikely to contaminate the field. if you're really
worried, you could go liquid diet for 48 hours, but I was fine with a
liquid diet for 24 hours.
— [Deactivated Member]
June 2, 2003
I didn't have to have one either. But, I was on clear liquids for 24hrs
before surgery. Lemme tell ya, I ate like crazy right up to the 24hr mark.
;) Now, I'm almost 6 months post op, and it's nothing to be on clear
liquids for a day or two. Sometimes I feel like my stomach is irritated,
and it just feels good to not put much in there. Pre-op, clear liquids for
a day was AGONY! Anyway, no, not all doctors require one. :)
— Diana L.
June 2, 2003
Hi. I didn't have to have any kind of prep before the surgery. I just had
to stop eating and drinking at midnight the night before the surgery. I
ate tons of food the day before. My surgery went well, no complications.
— Amy Hoffman
June 2, 2003
Hi, Vicki--I had no prep whatsoever--no liquid diet, no laxatives, no
antibiotics--and I did just peachy!---4 months post open RNY, -67 lbs
— Joyce C.
June 2, 2003
I didn't have to do any of that bowel stuff either and my surgery (LAP RNY
on 10/09/03) went very well and was complication free. My surgeon had me
on a very low fat diet the week before so that my liver would be smaller
and more flexible (it makes it easier to be moved aside during the
operation) and clear liquids the day before the surgery. Good luck.
— SteveColarossi
June 2, 2003
My only prep was nothing to eat after midnight. At 11:00 pm I was enjoying
my farewell meal of Prime Rib and a baked potatoe with everything the night
before surgery. I didn't have one problem of any sorts. Open RNY 11-11-02
Down 146lbs
— dkinson
June 2, 2003
My surgeon doesn't require a bowel prep either. I could eat or drink
anything up until midnight the evening before surgery. If it eases your
mind, take it upon yourself to do a liquid diet the day before or do the
suppository thing. I had a speedy recovery and no complications. Hugs,
Kim S. Open RNY Nov. 4/02 (-123 lbs.)
— Kim S.
June 2, 2003
My surgeon says surgery is oin the SMALL intestine, it emptys fast after
eating. The age waste intestine isnt disturbed. My surgeon does nearly all
LAP. He requires a 2 day bowell prep. He says a empty gut gives them a bit
more room to work, and the antibiotics of bowell prep day 2 minimizes post
op bacteria growth that cause trouble eating. Theres as many surgeons
opinions on stuff like this as there are surgeons operating.
— bob-haller
June 2, 2003
I had to do clear liquids the day before, with nothing colored red or pink,
and nothing after midnight before surgery. They are working on the upper
part of the small intestine for the most part, and bowel preps generally
only clean out the lower part of the large intestine. The chance of
developing peritonitis is pretty small.
— koogy
June 3, 2003
According to my Dr. - they are not operating on the lower bowels where the
cleaning would be - so they is not bowel prep. Just liquids prior to the
surgery and that was just for 2 days for me.
— Sally P.
June 3, 2003
My surgeon does require a bowel prep but because of a bad snowstorm, my
pre-op visit (the day before surgery) was cancelled and I didn't get the
wonderful stuff. When I asked him about it on the phone, he said not to
worry - that as long as I was on clear liquids the day before surgery I
would be fine. He does prefer it, but I did great. I was also supposed to
do it for my tummy tuck in February but I had eated a sugar free chocolate
bar on Sunday and had diahrrea all day Monday when I was supposed to take
it, so once again I missed the lovely cocktail.
— Patty_Butler
June 3, 2003
I'm not sure it is dangerous. You see I did'nt have to have a bowel prep.
Nor did I have to eat light the week before. I did have to FAST a day
before surgery. It was hard but I did it. I had an Open RNY and it went
just fine.
— Danmark
June 4, 2003
I didn't have a bowel prep before my open RNY (5/12/03). I did have to have
liquids only the night before (after lunch - Mother's Day, no less!) and
then nothing after midnight. A friend suggested that I give up red meat a
week before surgery and I did - that really helped, I think!
— Melissa B.
June 4, 2003
My dr didnt require one but the hospital gave me an enema about a 1/2 hr
before surgery to flush out and prevent an accident while under anesthesia.
More for them than dr. Had to fast - no food from midnight before surgery.
— snicklefritz
Click Here to Return