Question:
My doctor does not require me to clean out my bowels prior to surgery,
but for my own sake I think I should. It just seems safer with them moving everything around and all. I will be on a clear lisquid one day prior that is it...What did you do? and did your doctor require it? Any help would be much, much appreciated... — Laura T. (posted on July 12, 2002)
July 12, 2002
I personally wouldn't do any "Extra Cleaning" out with enemas or
laxatives. The reason is: The body does best when it doesn't recieve any
foriegn aids to remove its waste as long as it is doing it fine and normal
on its own. As long as you don't CHEAT and from 12 p.m. (lunch time) the
day before your surgery until midnight ONLY have clear liguids that are on
the approved list than you will have passed your last real food BM before
surgery and won't have any waste in your bowel. After midnight you don't
have anything prior to surgery and before you leave the hopital you will
have to be able to pass a stool (the bowel test). If you need the liquids
that you can have that BTC uses let me know, they are jello, broth, water,
stuff like that.
— Rebecca B.
July 12, 2002
Hi Laura,
My doc didn't have me "clean out" either. He said it wasn't
necessary. As the other poster said, as long as you stay NPO from midnight
on you will be fine. Good luck to you!!!
— Gina D.
July 12, 2002
My Dr. didn't require any pre-op bowel cleansing either - in fact, he said
to eat whatever I wanted up until Midnight the night before. But, I felt
like you, I didn't want to be "F.O.S" (full of s...) when I went
into the hospital so I just ate real light for 2 days before surgery - I
just stayed away from meat mostly and other "heavy" things that I
imagined would take awhile to digest. And, I didn't have to have any kind
of bowel test to be discharged either - all I had to do was pass my leak
test and a small amount of gas and they let me go. Good luck and congrats!!
— Kim A.
July 12, 2002
My surgeon doesn't require us to do a bowel prep either. His only
requirement or "recommendation" is that we eat a light meal the
night before...1 meat, 1 veggie and 1 fruit. Then nothing by mouth after
midnight. I had surgery last Wednesday and didn't eat anything after 6pm
Tuesday...only had meatloaf, baked tater and small amount of corn around
5pm. I think making sure you aren't stuffing yourself the day before is
going to help a lot. lap RNY 7/3/02 -15lbs
— Anna L.
July 12, 2002
Laura, I didn't have to be cleaned out before surgery either, nor did my
niece & nephew. From what I understand the bowel is not disturbed
during surgery so there is no need to cleanse one's self out before. This
is one thing you don't have to worry about.
— Janet C.
July 13, 2002
Whoever it was who posted that your bowels are not disturbed did NOT do any
research on WLS. In an RNY they remove part of your small
intestine...that's not disturbing the bowels??!??!! Some surgeons do not
require you to "clean out the pipes", but mine did. I drank 10
ounces of magnesium citrate in "pleasing lemon flavor" (yuk). I
must have gone potty 10 times, but I know that they did the surgery with no
problem. If you eat or have anything in that part of your intestine and
they cut it open, you run a risk of infection if any of the fecal matter or
partially digested food gets in your body cavity. Better safe than sorry.
Good luck to you!! :-)
— Paula Prichard
July 13, 2002
My doc didn't require bowel prep either. I was on 2 days of clears liquids
prior to surgery and that took care of everything.
— LisaTaz
July 13, 2002
This surgery involves the upper small intestine, not the bowels. Two
different areas seperated by many feet. I didn't need a bowel prep either
but ate lightly the day before. I think whatever feels right is the best
thing to do along with what your surgeon recommends. I heard of one surgeon
that will sew you back up and cancel the surgery if he "sees" you
didn't do the prep. Sounds like great bedside manner :-)
— crishsapig
July 13, 2002
My surgeon didn't require me to "empty out" either. I ate up
until 8 or 9pm the night before my 7am surgery. All my surgeon required
was no eating after midnight. ~Rachelle 8 weeks post op--Roux en Y--MINUS
43 # forever!!!
— rdszakacs
July 14, 2002
I did have to clean my bowels the day before, and the stuff was DISGUSTING!
Even 3 months later it still makes think about vomiting. After surgery,
when my bowels started working again, it was VERY painful for about 4 days
and I didn't always know when I was going to have a BM, that caused a few
messes. Sorry to be so graphic. Anyway, maybe without the bowel prep you
won't be in as much pain as I was post-op. Good luck!
— Christine L.
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