When you get to the operating room for your lap band procedure, the nurse will have you transfer onto the operating room bed. The anesthesiologist or CRNA will then begin placing sensors on you, plus the circulating registered nurse might be placing SCD's onto your legs or feet. After all monitors are placed, the anesthesiologist or CRNA will start having you breath oxygen using an oxygen mask. Soon after, you are going to start to get medication through your IV to make you unconscious. You're going to be receiving general anesthesia for this procedure. This means you will need to have a breathing tube put in. Once the medication has taken effect and you are unconscious, the anesthesiologist or CRNA will place the breathing tube. After the breathing tube is secure, you will be positioned and prepped for surgery. If you are a male, your abdomen will probably be shaved. You may have a catheter placed into your bladder to empty urine. The circulating nurse should then "prep" your abdominal area with betadine or some other antiseptic antimicrobial skin cleaning solution.
After your abdominal area is prepared using the skin cleanser, the surgical team will start to put sterile drapes over you. You're going to be covered completely with all of these sterile drapes other than the location of which they'll be making the cuts. Soon after the drapes are on, and all of the equipment the surgeon will be utilizing is connected and operational, the lap band procedure will commence.
The surgeon begins by making several small cuts in your abdomen. These incisions will be used to place the laparoscope and laparoscopic equipment through. Carbon dioxide gas is then pumped in to inflate your abdomen; this is to make it easier for your surgeon to see. The surgeon uses the laparoscope to look inside your abdomen without the need to make a significant incision and open your abdomen. The surgeon is going to be looking at a monitor that the video coming from the laparoscope will be transferred to through the entire lap band procedure.
A special adjustable round band will be inserted through one of the small incision sites, and carefully placed around the top part of your stomach using the laparoscopic tools. Once the band has been placed in the correct position, it will be fastened in place. An access port which is connected to the band with special tubing is then placed in the abdominal wall. This access port is placed to where it can be later used to adjust the band. By using a special needle and syringe to add or remove saline, the band will become tighter or looser. After the band and port are secured, the incisions are closed with either staples or suture.
When the lap band procedure is over the anesthesiologist or CRNA will begin to wake you up. You may hear them asking you to open your mouth or to squeeze their hand. They do this to make sure you are awake enough to breath on your own before they take the breathing tube out. They will then remove the breathing tube. You will be moved onto a stretcher and they will wheel you to the recovery room or PACU (post anesthesia care unit).
After your abdominal area is prepared using the skin cleanser, the surgical team will start to put sterile drapes over you. You're going to be covered completely with all of these sterile drapes other than the location of which they'll be making the cuts. Soon after the drapes are on, and all of the equipment the surgeon will be utilizing is connected and operational, the lap band procedure will commence.
The surgeon begins by making several small cuts in your abdomen. These incisions will be used to place the laparoscope and laparoscopic equipment through. Carbon dioxide gas is then pumped in to inflate your abdomen; this is to make it easier for your surgeon to see. The surgeon uses the laparoscope to look inside your abdomen without the need to make a significant incision and open your abdomen. The surgeon is going to be looking at a monitor that the video coming from the laparoscope will be transferred to through the entire lap band procedure.
A special adjustable round band will be inserted through one of the small incision sites, and carefully placed around the top part of your stomach using the laparoscopic tools. Once the band has been placed in the correct position, it will be fastened in place. An access port which is connected to the band with special tubing is then placed in the abdominal wall. This access port is placed to where it can be later used to adjust the band. By using a special needle and syringe to add or remove saline, the band will become tighter or looser. After the band and port are secured, the incisions are closed with either staples or suture.
When the lap band procedure is over the anesthesiologist or CRNA will begin to wake you up. You may hear them asking you to open your mouth or to squeeze their hand. They do this to make sure you are awake enough to breath on your own before they take the breathing tube out. They will then remove the breathing tube. You will be moved onto a stretcher and they will wheel you to the recovery room or PACU (post anesthesia care unit).
