You will need to rest until the effects of the anaesthetic have passed. You may need pain relief to help with any discomfort as the anaesthetic wears off.  Laparoscopic surgery generally proves less painful than other types of surgery know as “open surgery”, where  a single large incision is used to allow the surgeon to perform the procedure.

It is unusual but some people occasionally you may have a catheter to drain urine from your bladder into a bag. You may also have fine tubes running out from the wound. These drain fluid into another bag and are usually removed after a day or two. You may also be given fluids through a intra venous drip overnight.
You may have an X-ray taken the morning after your operation to check the gastric band is in the correct position, but this isn’t always necessary.

Based on your medical history some patients have to wear special pads, attached to an intermittent compression pump, on your lower legs. The pump inflates the pads and encourages healthy blood flow in your legs and helps to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT).  You will not be required to use them at home, and only a very few patients do require this treatment.

You will be encouraged to get out of bed and move around as this helps you to progress towards going home on the first day after your operation.

For the first 24 hours you will only be allowed to drink clear fluids. After this your NIOPPS practitioner will start you on a liquid or pureed diet for the first few weeks.  A sheet of instructions will be given to you before the operation, so you will have time to get the required foods before you have the surgery.
You will need to follow practitioners instructions and make some lifestyle changes to get the best results from your operation. Your NIOPPS practitioner will give you more advice about what you can and can’t eat or drink and what changes you need to make before you have the surgery.

You will usually be able to go home the day after your operation. You will need to arrange for someone to drive you home.

Your nurse will give you some advice about caring for your healing wounds before you go home and give you a date for a follow-up appointment. You will need to make several repeat visits to the hospital for band adjustments.
Dissolvable stitches will disappear on their own in seven to 10 days. Non-dissolvable stitches are removed a week after surgery, as are surgical staples.