Morbid obesity surgeries have a relatively long preparation period compared to other surgeries.  This is because many departments (General Surgery, Internal Medicine/Endocrinology, Psychiatry/Psychology, Chest Diseases, Anesthesia, Nutrition and Dietetics) is an obligation to work together. All these units work in harmony and play an active role in the patient's pre-operative preparation and ensure that the necessary measures are taken to minimize the problems that may arise afterwards.

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The first stage of preparation is blood tests. With these tests, information about the general health status of the patient is obtained. Blood values, system findings (liver, kidney, immune system, etc.), hormone disorders, sugar levels, adrenal glands are evaluated. The presence of any disorder that may cause weight gain is investigated.

 

After blood tests, the abdominal region is evaluated by ultrasonography. Fatty liver and the presence of stones in the gallbladder are investigated. Since there is a high probability of stone development in the gallbladder during the weight loss phase after the surgery, if there is a stone in the gallbladder before the surgery, the gallbladder should also be removed in the same session during the surgery.

 

Chest X-ray and electrocardiography (ECG, heart film, electro) are performed.

 

The internal structure and anatomy of the stomach are evaluated by endoscopy. Possible mass or ulcers in the stomach, the presence of reflux disease are evaluated and necessary precautions are taken.

 

In female patients, it is confirmed that there is no disease in the breast with breast examination and imaging, and a gynecological examination is performed.

Since the lung functions of obese patients may also be impaired, evaluation is made with a pulmonary function test, and appropriate measures are taken if necessary. In the presence of sleep apnea syndrome, a sleep test is performed.

 

Internal Medicine/Endocrinology, Psychiatry, Anesthesia, Chest Diseases and, if necessary, Cardiology examinations are performed.

After obesity surgeries, it is imperative that patients have a high level of compliance with their physicians and be in full cooperation in the treatment processes, therefore, the mental levels and mental health of the patients must be in place. In this context, psychiatric examination is very important. Patients with inadequate mental capacity and mental health problems are more likely to have problems after surgery and fail to lose weight.

After the surgery decision is made, patients follow a diet program starting 15 days before the surgery. Since this program will be a rehearsal of the diet that patients will apply after the surgery, it also provides information to predict postoperative compliance. In addition, this diet provides some reduction in the volume of the liver, and a more technically suitable environment is prepared during the surgery.

It can take about 15 to 30 days to make all these preparations. It is not recommended to be hasty in preparation for morbid obesity surgeries. The natural course of the process is in favor of the patient.

 

After the pre-operative preparations are completed, the day of surgery is decided by the patient and his doctor. The patient goes to the hospital on the morning of the surgery and has the surgery during the day. The duration of the operation is 1.5 - 2 hours on average, but depending on the patient (anatomical reasons), this period may be slightly longer. This does not mean there is a problem.

 

If there is no negative development, the patient stays in the hospital for 2 nights and can go home or to the hotel 2 days after the operation. 7 days after the operation, the patient is called for a control examination. Therefore, the patient is asked to stay in the city where the operation was performed for 5 more days after leaving the hospital. If the patient has come from outside the city, the patient can return to his/her own city or country after the first control.