The power of education for the preoperative bariatric patient can never be underestimated and can help prevent complications. With the limited length of the hospital stay, it is critical that all future bariatric patients are thoroughly informed on how to prepare for surgery, their hospital experience, and diet stages, how to recognize the basic needs of their bodies, and how to prevent complications. Nurses as well as medical staff should be sensitive to the potential lack of healthcare literacy and language barriers when educating bariatric patients. Furthermore, the entire clinical staff on the bariatric unit should receive updated bariatric education and continuing education courses annually to assure that they are giving the best possible care to the postoperative patients as well as recognizing complications early [1].

There are many potential bariatric postoperative complications, but one that is most likely preventable pertains to dehydration. Dehydration occurs when the body loses too much fluid. Signs and symptoms of dehydration include thirst, decrease in skin turgor, dry or cool skin, dry mucous membranes, constipation, low or minimal urine output, muscle cramps, tachycardia, hypotension, light-headedness, feeling dizzy, headache, fever, nausea, malaise, diaphoresis, irritability, confusion, and, in serious cases, delirium or loss of consciousness.

Postoperative monitoring of bariatric patients has revealed a large number of these patients require 1–3 l of intravenous fluid boluses to maintain adequate hydration. Furthermore, patients may have difficulty voiding, or a urine output of <100 mL per void with a foul odor and often a dark amber color. How can we prevent this?

All patients should undergo a bariatric preoperative education class. The topic of dehydration should be emphasized as a preventable complication. Patients may already be in a state of dehydration prior to arriving on their scheduled surgical day; thus, the education should be enhanced to include the following information [1]: