Preparing for Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery: A Guide

If you’re considering sleeve gastrectomy, you’ve likely spent months researching, consulting with loved ones, and wrestling with this significant decision. It’s completely normal to feel a mix of hope and anxiety right now. This surgery represents a powerful tool for lasting weight loss and improved health, but the preparation phase can feel overwhelming.

The good news? Proper preparation significantly impacts your surgical outcome and recovery experience. Understanding what’s ahead—both physically and mentally—helps you approach your robotic sleeve gastrectomy with confidence rather than fear.

Let’s walk through the essential steps to prepare your mind and body for this life-changing procedure.

Understanding What Happens During Sleeve Gastrectomy

Before diving into preparation, it helps to understand exactly what this surgery involves. During a sleeve gastrectomy, your surgeon removes approximately 75-80% of your stomach, leaving a banana-shaped sleeve. Yes, they do remove a substantial part of your stomach—the portion that produces hunger-stimulating hormones.

This creates a smaller stomach that holds less food and reduces feelings of hunger. The procedure is typically performed using advanced robotic technology, which offers enhanced precision and often means smaller incisions, less pain, and faster recovery compared to traditional methods.

Understanding this process helps you mentally prepare for the permanent change you’re making. This isn’t a reversible procedure, which is why the preparation phase is so crucial.

Medical Evaluations and Clearances

Your bariatric surgery team will require several medical evaluations before your procedure date. These typically include blood work, cardiac assessments, and possibly a sleep study if sleep apnea is suspected. According to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, these evaluations ensure you’re healthy enough for surgery and identify any conditions requiring management.

You’ll also meet with multiple specialists—your surgeon, a dietitian, and often a mental health professional. These aren’t obstacles; they’re safeguards designed to optimize your success. The mental health evaluation, in particular, helps ensure you’re emotionally prepared for the lifestyle changes ahead and don’t have untreated eating disorders that could compromise your results.

Don’t rush this phase. Use these appointments to ask every question on your mind. Your care team has heard it all before, and there are no silly questions when it comes to your health.

The Pre-Surgery Diet: Why It Matters

Most patients find the pre-surgery diet to be one of the most challenging aspects of preparation. Typically starting 1-2 weeks before surgery, you’ll transition to a liquid diet designed to shrink your liver and reduce abdominal fat, making the surgery safer and technically easier.

This liquid diet usually includes protein shakes, clear broths, sugar-free beverages, and sometimes pureed soups. Your liver sits right above your stomach, and excess fat can obstruct the surgical field. A smaller liver means better visualization for your surgeon and reduced risk of complications during the procedure.

Yes, this phase is difficult. You may experience headaches, fatigue, or irritability as your body adjusts. These symptoms are temporary and actually demonstrate that your body is responding appropriately. Stay hydrated, follow the plan exactly as prescribed, and remind yourself that this temporary discomfort is protecting your safety.

Medication Adjustments and Supplement Protocols

Your surgical team will review all your current medications and make necessary adjustments. Certain medications increase bleeding risk or interact poorly with anesthesia. Blood thinners like aspirin or anti-inflammatory medications typically need to be stopped 7-10 days before surgery.

If you take medications for diabetes, hypertension, or other chronic conditions, your physician may adjust dosages as you lose weight rapidly pre-surgery. Never stop or change medications without explicit guidance from your healthcare team.

You’ll also likely start taking specific vitamins and supplements before surgery. These may include a multivitamin, calcium, and vitamin B12. Research from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases shows that establishing supplement routines before surgery helps ensure better compliance afterward, when nutritional deficiencies can develop if you’re not diligent.

Mental and Emotional Preparation

Your physical preparation is only half the equation. Gastric sleeve surgery will fundamentally change your relationship with food, and that requires significant mental adjustment. Many patients report that the hardest part of gastric sleeve surgery isn’t the physical recovery—it’s adapting to new eating habits and processing the emotional aspects of weight loss.

Consider connecting with support groups before your surgery. Hearing from others who’ve walked this path provides invaluable perspective and realistic expectations. You’ll learn about challenges you hadn’t considered and strategies that helped others succeed.

It’s also important to examine your current relationship with food. Do you eat when stressed, bored, or sad? After surgery, your smaller stomach won’t accommodate emotional eating patterns. Working with a therapist who specializes in bariatric patients can help you develop healthier coping mechanisms before surgery.

Give yourself permission to feel whatever emotions arise—excitement, fear, grief, hope. All of these are valid responses to major life changes.

Lifestyle Modifications to Start Now

The weeks before surgery offer a perfect opportunity to practice habits that will become essential afterward. Start implementing the 30-minute rule—don’t drink liquids 30 minutes before or after meals. This prevents your smaller stomach from filling with fluids instead of nutrient-dense food and helps you avoid uncomfortable fullness.

Practice eating slowly and chewing thoroughly. Put your fork down between bites. These might seem like small changes now, but they’ll be critical after surgery when eating too quickly can cause nausea or vomiting.

If you smoke, quitting is non-negotiable. Smoking dramatically increases your risk of complications, impairs healing, and can cause dangerous blood clots or pneumonia. Most bariatric programs require smoking cessation at least 6-8 weeks before surgery.

Begin incorporating gentle movement into your daily routine if you’re not already active. You don’t need intense workouts—a daily 15-minute walk builds the foundation for post-surgery exercise habits and improves your cardiovascular fitness for anesthesia.

Practical Preparations for Surgery Day

As your surgery date approaches, handle the practical details that will reduce stress later. Arrange for someone to drive you home and stay with you for at least the first 24-48 hours. Stock your home with approved clear liquids, protein shakes, and any recommended supplements.

Prepare your recovery space with pillows to help you sleep in a slightly elevated position, which reduces discomfort. Loose, comfortable clothing that doesn’t put pressure on your abdomen will be essential for the first week.

Follow your surgical team’s fasting instructions precisely—typically nothing to eat or drink after midnight before your surgery. This reduces the risk of aspiration (food entering your lungs) while under general anesthesia, a rare but serious complication.

The night before surgery, take time to acknowledge how far you’ve come. You’ve completed evaluations, changed your diet, and made difficult decisions about your health. That takes remarkable courage.

Preparing for sleeve gastrectomy surgery involves transforming both your body and mindset. While the process demands effort and commitment, remember that you’re not alone. Your bariatric surgery team at Colorado Bariatric Surgery Institute is here to support you through every step of this journey toward better health and renewed quality of life. When you’re ready to take the next step, consider scheduling a consultation to discuss your personalized preparation plan and get your questions answered by experts who understand exactly what you’re experiencing.

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