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Your surgeon will meet with you to answer any and all questions you may have. You will be asked questions about your health history and a general physical examination will be performed. If your intestine requires cleansing, you will be given a prescription for a laxative medicine to take the evening before the surgery. All patients are generally asked to provide a blood sample. Depending on your age and general health, you may also have an ECG (electrocardiogram), a chest x-ray, lung function tests, or other tests. You may also need to meet with your primary doctor or cardiologist before surgery for pre-operative medical clearance.  If required, the day before bowel surgery you will need to take the prescribed laxative medicine (see bowel prep instruction).  It is important that you follow the medication directions carefully and drink all of the prescribed medication in its entirety. Taking this medication will help decrease your risk of developing an infection from bacteria that is normally present in the intestine.  Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before your surgery. On the day of surgery, you will meet with an anesthesiologist who will discuss the specific type of anesthesia you will be given for the surgery.  The anesthesiologist will also consult with you on the proper methods of pain control after your operation. After your consultation with the anesthesiologist, an intravenous (IV) tube will be inserted into a vein in your arm to deliver pre-surgical medications and fluids and you will then be taken to the operating room.  Upon arrival in the operating room, the nursing staff will help you onto the operating table and the anesthesiologist will inject the anesthesia medicine into your arm through the IV tube.  Before starting the surgery, your surgeon will conduct a thorough examination of your abdominal cavity to insure that the laparoscopic surgical procedure will be safe for you.    Once the surgeon decides whether the laparoscopic procedure is safe or not, he will determine the number and location of incisions based on the type of surgical procedure you will be having.   

There are some reasons why laparoscopy may not be done for example extensive adhesions (scar tissue from previous surgery). If necessary, one of the small incisions may be enlarged to enable your surgeon to remove the diseased section of the intestine or to create a connection between the two ends of your intestine. When you wake up from the operation, you will be in a recovery room with an oxygen mask covering your nose and mouth. This mask delivers a cool mist of oxygen that helps eliminate the remaining anesthesia from your system and soothes your throat which may be sore from the breathing tube that provided you with air and anesthetic gases during the operation.   The soreness of your throat will usually subside after a day or two.  Depending on the type of your operation you may also have a tube in your nose, bladder or a drain tube in your abdomen. These tubes will be removed one by one during the first few days after the surgery. Post-surgery pain control medication will be given to you as you start your recovery. The length of your hospital stay will depend on the type of procedure you have and how quickly you recover. You may experience nausea and vomiting due to the fact that your intestines are temporarily disabled from the operation. In addition, anesthesia tends to make most people nauseous. For this reason, food and drink are given slowly for the first few days. During your recovery, you are encouraged to get out of bed and walk for small amounts of time to prevent complications such as pneumonia or the formation of blood clots in your leg veins. Most patients undergoing diagnostic laparoscopy or hernia repair go home the same day. Some patients undergoing gallbladder surgery also go home the same day while other gallbladder patients will spend one night in the hospital after the surgery. Most patients undergoing surgery for reflux, splenectomy will spend one or two nights in the hospital. Other types of surgery, particularly laparoscopic surgery on the stomach or intestine will require a 2-4 day stay in the hospital. You will require the assistance of pain control medication over the first 2-3 days of recovery. You will be encouraged to steadily increase your activity once you return home.  Walking is great exercise and will help your general recovery in the following ways:  1)  Strengthening your leg muscles 2)  Keeping your blood circulating to prevent blood clots 3)  Helping your lungs stay clear which contributes to healthy breathing patterns.

Regular activity and exercise can be resumed anywhere from 2-6 weeks from the date of surgery.   Patients are strongly advised to not lift or push anything over 10 pounds.  Majority of the patient may take a regular shower the fist day after discharge.