Out Patient Procedure

[Milly23]

Hello!!
I want to know if anyone had a Gastro Sleeve as an out patient procedure, going home the same day? if that is your case did you recommend it? how was your entire experience?

anything you can share = Mine is schedule as an outpatient and now some people are telling me that I should go to the hospital..

thank you,
Millie

[RehabNurse]

Mine was a same-day procedure at a small surgical hospital...

I reported to the hospital at 6:30am for an 8:30am operating time. I was not wheeled back to the operating room until about 9:15. The surgery took about 30 minutes according to the surgeon.

I awakened from the anesthesia at about 11:00am and was up and walking at noon. I was approved for discharge at 7:00pm once it was determined that I had no uncontrollable pain or nausea. However, I did not go home until 11:00pm because that was the soonest time my friend could arrive at the hospital to sign me out.

Once I was discharged to the care of my friend, I drove myself approximately 45 miles home. I am glad it was a same-day procedure because I did not need to spend any nights at the hospital.

[Kindle]

My surgery was at 3pm and I was discharged next day at 9am. So even though it did involve an overnight, i wasn't there even 24 hours. I was up and feeling fine by 9pm, face timing with family and emailing friends. Spent the night wandering the halls and watching TV cause I can never sleep after anesthesia. My brain just figures hey, you just had a nice long nap, you can't be tired. so yes, if my surgery had been in the morning Inwould have had no problem going home same day.

My gallbladder removal surgery holds the record though. Arrived 8am. Rolled into surgery at 9am, and they were kicking me out by 11am. I had to plead with them to let me hang out till noon because that's the soonest my friend could get there to sign me out. I promptly went grocery shopping and then went home and cleaned the house. Again, didn't sleep until the next day.

[trxl00]

Wow that is amazing Yall out patient!!!

[Dawnislas]

I stayed overnight and trust me it would have been BAD if I had gone home the same day.

[tina833]

I stayed overnight and was in a lot of pain the next day when I went home. While the daytime nurses were great, the night shift sucked and my son who graciously spent the night at the hospital was the one who really took care of me so I could have gone home.

[KariVSG]

I was told I that I have to be in the hospital overnight so they could do a leak test the following morning

[Shirl]

Hello!!
I want to know if anyone had a Gastro Sleeve as an out patient procedure, going home the same day? if that is your case did you recommend it? how was your entire experience?

anything you can share = Mine is schedule as an outpatient and now some people are telling me that I should go to the hospital..

thank you,
Millie

Hi Millie, I had an outpatient procedure as well. I checked in at noontime had surgery at 1:30pm I think I was out of surgery by 2:30pm awakening by 3pm and heading home by 5:30pm.

I was surprised by lack of pain, I had a gall bladder removal in 2014 and was expecting the worse, but it never happened.

To this day I've had zero -0- complications and access to urgent care nurse 24/7 in case.

I was happy to be in my own bed that evening.

I followed instructions, took medications prescribed ( which were given to me a week prior to fill ). I did prepared and sanitized my home the best I could.

At my one week follow-up I was cleared for light cardio exercise, and told to return in 3 months, and to be honest that has been my only beef with them because it left me figuring things out on my own ( someone here said something about sleeve'm and leave'm and that could be true of my surgeon's practice), but I'm super grateful that he did such an amazing job, that I have not need any after care. To his defense he did tell me I had the option in doing at Cedar Sinai Hospital or at his outpatient surgical center which he said I was a good candidate for outpatient surgery. He normally does hospital surgery for the extremely high BMI patient.

I have moved since surgery, and now I have a new Bariatric surgery follow up team, and I can see them every month if I wanted, but since my new insurance doesn't cover it I'm seeing them again in January. I have a new primary doctor who is going to monitor my blood work regularly. I had blood drawn last week, but my physical isn't until November 3rd because they are over booked.

Whatever you do just make sure you check your blood periodically because as with most metabolic Bariatric surgery patients vitamin malabsorption can become a serious issue. Follow your dietary guidelines, add exercise as soon as you are able to and you will be okay.

[Anon7]

That doesn't sound right to me...you should be monitored for 24 hours - and you should have a leak test the day after surgery...

[garrison36]

You felt ok after gallbladder surgery to go to the store? that's good to know I am getting mine out in November and was concerned. How was your eating and weight loss after gallbladder?

Thank you

[RehabNurse]

I was told I that I have to be in the hospital overnight so they could do a leak test the following morning

That doesn't sound right to me...you should be monitored for 24 hours - and you should have a leak test the day after surgery...

Since my sleeve was a same-day surgery, my leak test was done 5 hours after completion of the operation. The leak test does not necessarily need to be done the day after surgery.

In addition, since it is a relatively uncomplicated surgical procedure (compared to something like an open heart surgery or limb amputation), 24-hour monitoring is not needed unless one's having uncontrolled pain, fever, or nausea.

[Pam G]

mine wasn't called 'outpatient", but it could have been. went in on a friday morning and went home Saturday morning.

the hospital gets more money if you stay even one minute past midnight, so I'm pretty sure that's the reason for the overnight stay, then they get you out ASAP the next day. lol

[Pam G]

I was told I that I have to be in the hospital overnight so they could do a leak test the following morning

read up about gastric leaks....if they happen, it's 'usually' not til weeks later. doing a leak test the next day is a waste....the swelling can mask a leak, so until the swelling is gone, leak tests aren't even all that accurate....unless there's like a huge gaping gap in the staple line, in which case, congratulations on your medical malpractice suit win!

also, leaks are super unusual.

[garrison36]

Yes I was one who had a leak. thought I was having a heart attach and other things a week after surgery, But they didn't find the leak til 2 1/2 week later in the hospital with no food or water and test after test.

[RehabNurse]

the hospital gets more money if you stay even one minute past midnight, so I'm pretty sure that's the reason for the overnight stay, then they get you out ASAP the next day. lol

Bingo! Here in the U.S., hospitals and insurance companies utilize the 'midnight rule' for billing. This means that if a patient stays one minute past midnight, he/she is charged for an entire second day of service.

It doesn't matter if the patient arrived at 5:00pm on Monday and discharged home at 7:00am on Tuesday. Even though the patient was physically present in the hospital for a whopping 14 hours, he/she is getting charged for two entire days (48 hours) because his/her ass was in the bed when midnight struck.

The midnight rule is financially lucrative for hospitals and surgeons in the US. Therefore, they convince all patients that monitoring is absolutely imperative for a day or two, even though relatively few people need it.

In the U.S., healthcare is big business disguised as 'caring' about you. I have been a nurse for a decade and know the 'ins' and 'outs regarding the backstage operations of the very profitable show.