Dr. Elijah Mobley, a general surgeon in Los Angeles County, performs laparoscopic gallbladder surgery, which is a less invasive procedure than open gallbladder surgery. Instead of removing your gallbladder using a large incision of five to six inches long, this procedure allows for the use of two or three small incisions of one to two inches long. The minimally invasive nature of this procedure can allow you to go home the same day as the surgery.
What to Expect During the Pre-Op (Preparation) Stage of Surgery
Preoperative tests are ordered and completed during the week before your scheduled surgery. The most common pre-op tests include blood tests, an EKG, a chest x-ray, and a urinalysis.
Your stomach must be completely empty. An empty stomach is necessary to prevent you from vomiting during or after the surgery. Therefore, you cannot eat or drink anything at all after midnight on the day of your surgery. You should bathe the evening before or the morning of your surgery as well.
Dr. Elijah Mobley will discuss the medication taken and will also mention that some medication must be stopped at least a week prior to the surgery. Any blood thinning medications such as aspirin, Coumadin, or any other medications or over-the-counter supplements that make it difficult for your blood to clot so that you do not experience excessive bleeding during the surgery.
Prepare Your Home Prior to Your Surgery
Before your surgery, it is always a good idea to prepare your home. For example, if you sleep on the second floor of your home, you will want to move your bed or purchase or borrow a bed to put downstairs to sleep in during your recovery period.
If you live alone or do all the cooking, you will want to cook and freeze some meals ahead of time or purchase frozen meals that you can just pop in the oven or microwave. You may also want to purchase some plastic plates, cups, and silverware that you can just toss out, instead of having to wash dishes.
What to Expect When You Get to the Hospital
You will need to sign your consent for surgery and your consent form for anesthesia if this has not already been done. The anesthesiologist will talk to you about the medications you take and the allergic reactions or adverse effects you may have to the given medications, specifically general anesthesia. The anesthesiologist will also do a quick physical assessment to evaluate possible factors that could affect the dosage of anesthesia they intended on using during your surgery.
The nurse will then start an IV and an antibiotic. Once the general surgeon is ready to begin, you will be wheeled into the operating room, and then the anesthesia is injected into the IV.
For more information on gall bladder removal, contact us today.
