Preparing for your Lap-Band Surgery

Pre-Operative Care

Pre-Operative Diet

Once you have insurance approval or have secured finances the pre-operative diet, educational class, surgery date, and two-week follow-up visit will be scheduled.

Modest weight loss prior to surgery can help shrink the liver up to 25% and facilitate the surgery for Dr. Hansen. Modest weight loss will improve blood sugar control and blood pressure stabilization. We have a simple diet outline for you. There is not a mandatory amount of weight to lose but the more, the better. We ask you to start your diet two weeks before your surgery date. This will be a calorie-counting diet based on your BMI. These are food suggestions that will help you during your pre-op diet:

Protein Drink - About 200 calories, 5-6 g fat, 15 g protein, 2-5 g fiber.Examples: Slim-Fast high protein, Slim-Rite high protein, EAS carb control, Lite Muscle Milk, Premier Nutrition Protein Shake (Costco).

Protein Bar - About 200 calories, 5-6 g fat, 15 g protein, 2-5 g fiber.Examples: Slim-Fast high protein, Slim-Fast meal options, South Beach Diet meal replacement, South Beach Diet high protein cereal bars, EAS Advantedge, EAS Myoplex lite, Pria, Special K protein, Curves, Kashi TLC, MD Diet.

Frozen Dinner - About 200 calories, 5-6 g fat, 15 g protein, 2-5 g fiber.Examples: Healthy Choice, South Beach, Weight Watchers (Smart Ones), Lean Cuisine, Michelina’s Lean Gourmet.

Water - At least 64oz per day.

Multi-Vitamin, Calcium, and Fiber.

Pre-Operative Education Class

There will be an additional information seminar to learn what to expect from the Lap-Band and provide you with the tools necessary to be successful. We have a full support staff to cover nutrition, emotional issues, guidelines for avoiding problems, exercise, and additional support options if needed. Most of the support staff have Lap-Band themselves and know what it is like to go through the process themselves. Our program is unique in this aspect due the number of our staff who have the band. Our primary program director has the most experience in the region. The Pre-operative class information will be available once you have completed your registration.

Registration Page

Pre-Operative Consultation for Lap-Band Surgery

Consult With Dr. Hansen

Prior to surgery, you will meet with Dr. Hansen who will perform an exam and answer any final questions you may have. Prescriptions for after surgery will be given to you at this visit with the request to fill these and bring them with you to your surgery. A final list of key principles at this point in the process will be reviewed with you and are listed below.

Don’t drink with meals and wait 2 hours before drinking again
Start this one week after surgery. This is the most difficult responsibility you have to help the band work for you. Drinking with meals will allow food to slide down through the band instead of holding it back, where it can stretch some of the stomach walls to send a signal back to the brain to “turn off the hunger.” Because it is a tool, it will help you to feel satisfied with smaller portions and to not feel so hungry. Your part is that when you are not hungry—don’t eat in between meals. It is also “OK” to skip some meals if you are not hungry. Eat the smallest portion of food until you don’t feel hungry, then quit eating.
Limit vomiting
Because a restriction has been placed on your stomach to create an hourglass shape with only a small upper pouch if you:● Eat too fast.● Don’t chew food enough.● Eat too much.
Food will back up into your esophagus ( the “No Loitering” organ of the body) and it will come back up. This will happen. You want to limit this as much as possible. Repeated vomiting contributes to getting a “Slip” where the stomach slides up through the band making it too tight and then usually has to be revised. Learn what causes you to vomit and avoid this.
Goal for weight loss
Our average is 52% of excess weight loss after two years, so we ask you to set a goal to lose two-thirds of the excess weight above your ideal body mass.
Cost of the surgery
Self-pay: For those paying out of pocket without insurance, the office fees cover everything it takes to care for you for the first year related to the Lap-Band, i.e., adjustments, office visits, or service provided by my office due to any complications such as the unlikely event of a re-operation. It does not include any facility, extra personnel, or laboratory fees associated with any problems or complications.
Insurance: Each insurance has individual policies. There will be an office consult fee and an operation charge. After 90 days from the surgery date, each office visit will be charged and paid by insurance; however, your plan covers it. In the event you lose insurance coverage, we have package plans for follow-up. Please call if there are any questions.
Follow-up visits
You should have a 2-week appointment after your surgery with Dr. Hansen. Subsequent visits will usually be with the nurses on a monthly basis and occasionally more frequently if needed.