Day of Bariatric Surgery

Follow the important directions you receive leading up to the day of weight-loss surgery, and you’ll improve your experience at UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill or our UNC Hillsborough Campus.

Before Bariatric Surgery

Avoid eating or drinking anything starting at midnight the day of surgery. You can take small sips of water with medications your doctor approves.

Arrive early. Your care team will tell you what time to come to the hospital.

After You Arrive

Change out of your clothes and into a hospital gown. You’ll meet with your bariatric surgeon, anesthesiologist and nurses before your weight-loss surgery.

You’ll receive an intravenous line that provides fluids and medications, such as antibiotics.

What to Expect in the Operating Room

The length of surgery depends on which weight-loss procedure you receive. Gastric bypass procedures take two to three hours, while gastric sleeve surgery takes about one hour.

After surgery, your surgical team will confirm your vital signs are normal. Then, you’ll move to a recovery room for one to two hours. Expect to stay in the hospital for one to two days after your surgery.