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Preprations for Surgery
What are the routine tests before surgery?
Certain basic tests are done prior to surgery:
- A Complete Blood Count (CBC).
- A complete profile in terms of liver functions, kidney functions and lipid profile.
- Thyroid Function Test, Iron levels, B12 levels.
- All patients except for the very young are also sent for a chest X-ray and an electrocardiogram. Due to the high incidence of obstructive sleep apnea, most patients will require a polysomnography study.
- Patients also need to undergo an abdominal ultrasound.
- Other tests, such as pulmonary function testing, echocardiogram, GI evaluation, cardiology evaluation, or psychiatric evaluation, will be requested when indicated.
What is the purpose of all these tests?
An accurate assessment of your health is needed before surgery. The best way to avoid complications is to never have them in the first place. If you are diabetic, special steps must be taken to control your blood sugar. Our objective is to maximize your likelihood of success.
Why do I have to have a GI Evaluation?
Patients who have significant gastrointestinal symptoms such as upper abdominal pain, heartburn, belching sour fluid, etc., may have underlying problems such as a hiatas hernia, gastroesophageal reflux or peptic ulcer.
Why do I have to have a Sleep Study?
The sleep study detects a tendency for abnormal stopping of breathing, usually associated with airway blockage when the muscles relax during sleep. This condition is associated with a high mortality rate and is present in nearly 70% of obese patients. It is important to have a clear picture of what to expect and how to handle it.
Why do I have to have a Psychiatric Evaluation?
Bariatric surgery will require significant changes in your lifestyle and will also change your life. A psychiatric evaluation will help prepare you for these changes by developing coping skills and encouraging behavior modification. Additionally, our psychiatrists will evaluate your understanding and knowledge of the risks and complications associated with weight loss surgery and your ability to follow the basic recovery plan.
What impact do my medical problems have on the decision for surgery, and how do the medical problems affect risk?
Medical problems, such as serious heart or lung problems, can increase the risk of any surgery. On the other hand, if they are problems that are related to the patient's weight, they also increase the need for surgery. Severe medical problems may not dissuade the doctor from recommending gastric bypass surgery if it is appropriate, but those conditions will make a patient's risk higher than average.
What can I do before the appointment to speed up the process of getting ready for surgery?
- Make a list of all the diets you have tried (a diet history) and bring it to your doctor.
- Bring any pertinent medical data to your appointment with the surgeon - this would include reports of special tests (echocardiogram, sleep study, etc.) or hospital discharge summary if you have been in the hospital.
- Bring a list of your medications with dose and schedule.
- Stop smoking. Surgical patients who use tobacco products are at a higher surgical risk.