Queensland BariatricsQueensland BariatricsPreadmission Clinic
If you are having surgery at the Wesley Hospital, you will be required to attend the Wesley Hospital Nursing Preadmission Clinic on the same day as your pre-op appointment with Dr Blair Bowden. You will need to arrange an appointment to see them. We recommend you phone them on 3232 7316 to arrange this appointment. You are also able to complete your admission paperwork online but will still need to attend the preadmission clinic prior to surgery. It is important that you read all pages of the Admission Information booklet prior to your admission.
Pre Operative Appointment with Dr Blair Bowden
In the week leading up to your surgery with Dr Blair Bowden you will be required to have a pre operative appointment with Dr Blair Bowden. During this appointment Dr Blair Bowden will answer any of your final questions you may have as well as go through all your surgery consent forms and give you your admission time. This is also when you pay your account.
Before your surgery low carbohydrate meals or VLCD program make your operation safer. This will reduce the fat in the liver allowing safer access to the area around the top of the stomach during surgery. By reducing the size of the liver prior to surgery it in turn decreases the risk of damage to other organs during surgery. This can be done with either VLCD meal replacements such as Optifast or a “keto” style meals, high protein low carbohydrate. Your dietitian will help you with this preparation.
Some patients may find that they will suffer from some side effects and these include dizziness, tiredness or irritability, this should pass as your body gets used to ketosis. We recommend you contact the office or dietitian if any symptoms persist.
Prior to gastric sleeve and gastric bypass surgery patients will be asked to commence a medication called Pariet which reduces the amount of acid in the stomach. It is routinely used for heartburn and reflux. Patients will take one the day before surgery and the morning of surgery, it will continue for 4 to 12 weeks post operatively.
We recommend no solid food for 6 hours before your admission. You can have clear fluids (200ml per hour) e.g. water, black coffee, black tea, Gatorade, Powerade and apple juice, until 1 hour prior to your admission time.
Gastric sleeve and bypass patients should take 20mg of Pariet the night prior to surgery the morning of surgery as well as usual medications unless directed not to take them by Dr Blair Bowden or anaesthetist.
On the day of your surgery you will need to come to the main admissions desk and will be escorted to the Patient Preparation Area where you will have a nurse assigned to you to get you ready for your operation. They will help you with all your belongings, assist in getting you changed into your hospital gown, and best of all, paper underwear. Very stylish!
After you have been changed into your stylish theatre garb you will be escorted to the Patient Preparation Unit, the staff here will make sure you are adequately prepared for your operation. Once the Pre Operation Area calls for you, you will then be wheeled into the Pre Operation Area where you will usually be visited by the anaesthetist and Dr Blair Bowden and wheeled into surgery. Once in the operating room, Dr Blair Bowden will have a chat to help calm any nerves (and possibly take requests for any music you wish to drift off to sleep to). The anaesthetist will then insert an IV (and mix a great cocktail) and before you know it you will awake in post op.
After you spend some time in post op you will be moved to the ward where your friends and relatives can visit.
