You might also need to consider allowing time for a pre-op diet *IF* you are a high BMI patient.
Dr. Ortiz does ask his High BMI patients to try and lose 5% of their body weight before surgery. This is because losing this weight reduces the visceral fat around your liver which lies right on top of your stomach where the surgeons have to work in placing your band. Reducing the fat around your liver means you are doing your part to help ensure a smooth surgery and a quick recovery (I'd guess because a less fatty liver gets moved around less/less traumatized during surgery).
I was a high BMI patient (385 lbs w/ a BMI of 58) and needed to lose 19 lbs pre-op. I ended up losing 22 in the 6 week between scheduling my surgery & the actual date. While I don't *know* that my weight loss helped make the surgery easier on me, but I can tell you that I was up, walking around, and chatting with my bandmates 1 1/2 hours after surgery and felt fine to go home the very next morning (I only live about an hour from TJ and didn't need to hassle with airport lines or squishy airline seats so I chose to go home instead of spending another night in the hotel).
I was banded on 5/25/05 and, as of last Monday, I am down a total of 59 pounds -- I LOVE my band! Losing weight with the band has been by far the less stressful (& and least torturous!) weight loss I've ever experienced (and I'v lost A LOT of weight in my life!) -- plus, for the first time, I feel confident because the band provides me with a tool that will also help me KEEP the weight off for the rest of my life (maintenance has always been my downfall in the past).
Lyndy