Admission to hospital is normally the day before surgery. Routine blood tests are done. The anesthetist visits, and in some patients a physiotherapist may prescribe some breathing exercises. It is also important to allow a patient to become familiar with the hospital and with its staff. Smoking is a real risk as it may lead to the development of post–operative breathing problems and also more wound pain from the extra coughing that smokers have. It must be stopped for at least three weeks prior to surgery, and surgery may have to be cancelled if this is not done, since anesthesia is not safe unless the lungs are clear. This is a great opportunity for smokers to give up altogether.

Vertical Banded Gastroplasty
Vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) is the procedure most frequently used as restrictive operation for weight control. As the figure illustrates, staples are used to create a small pouch. Restrictive operations lead to weight loss in almost all patients.

The operation usually takes 30 to 40 minutes, depending on technical factors and whether other abnormalities are found (e.g. gall stones, which may be dealt with at the same time). Patients are woken up immediately after the operation and are placed in a sitting position in their own bed.