Gastric Band Procedure

Recovery

It is common for patients to experience "gas pain" in the shoulder and chest area for up to 36 hours after the surgery. There may be some mild discomfort around the abdominal incisions that should be easily controlled with the medications that will be prescribed. It is important that post-op nausea be controlled.

With a routine recovery, patients should be able to resume their normal activities within 7 to 10 days after the surgery. We recommend that patients plan to take at least a week off work after the procedure. Driving is prohibited while taking any narcotic pain medications such as codeine. Patients that are not on these types of pain medication can drive within a few days, as long as the distances are reasonable and not too tiring. Some people require a shorter or longer period of time to recover from a general anaesthetic, but all patients should plan to take it easy for at least a week after a Gastric Band procedure.

If a patient has a procedure at the Surgical Weight Loss Centre and it is felt that they should not be discharged that day, arrangements will be made for their transfer and admission to the nearby Trillium Health Centre. This is very rarely necessary.