Gastric sleeve surgery is an excellent option for those who are looking to quickly lose weight and have a high quality of life. However, you should be aware that the pre-op diet guidelines will vary depending on your current health condition and post-op diet guidelines are tailored to allow for healing. If you suffer from fatty liver disease or other related conditions, there may be some specific dietary restrictions before surgery.
This article will outline necessary information about pre-op diets as well as post-op diets in order to ensure success with gastric sleeve surgery! Let’s dive into what to know before bariatric surgery in Mexico.
The Pre-Gastric Sleeve Surgery Liquid Diet
Before any bariatric surgery, you need to go on a liquid diet to eliminate all solids from your stomach and intestines. If there are any remaining, it can cause surgical complications and even result in death. Your doctor will specify which types of liquids you can consume and when to transition into different stages of the liquid diet.
You will also need to stop eating at midnight the day of your surgery. This ensures that you will not vomit anything up while the procedure is underway.
Pre-Gastric Sleeve Surgery Diet for Those With Fatty liver Disease
If you have been diagnosed with fatty liver disease, then your doctor may recommend a liquid diet for a longer period before surgery. This is because the liver can regenerate more quickly if it is not working hard to digest solid food. A liquid diet will also help to reduce the size of the liver and stomach and make surgery less complicated.
The Post-Gastric Surgery Liquid Diet
After gastric sleeve surgery, you will need to continue on a liquid diet for the first week post-op. This is to ensure that your stomach is not stressed as this can cause the incisions to open. Your doctor will give you specific instructions on what types of liquids are safe to consume during this time period.
The Post-Gastric Surgery Diet for Weeks Two through Four
Once you have made it past week one post-op, then your doctor will give you specific instructions on what types of foods and liquids are safe to consume.
You should not eat any solid food until at least three weeks after surgery! Your stomach is still healing from the procedure so sticking with a liquid diet is highly recommended for optimal health. You can add things like Jell-O, yogurt smoothies, thick shakes/ smoothies, oatmeal in small amounts (¼ cup or less), broths that do not contain too much fat or salt content in order to ease yourself into eating more solids again. This way, your body has time to adjust without being overloaded by dense nutrients all at once.
During Weeks two through four post-op, you can gradually increase the amount of solid food that you are consuming. However, make sure to avoid fatty and greasy foods as these will slow down your weight loss process and may cause nausea or vomiting.
The Post-Gastric Surgery Diet for Weeks Five through Eight
Once you have reached weeks five through eight post-op, your doctor will give you a green light to start eating all types of solid foods again! Just like in the previous phase, it is important to take things slowly by adding small portions of new foods to your diet each day. This will help your stomach get used to handling larger quantities of food without causing any discomfort or pain.
It is also important to continue drinking plenty of water (at least two liters per day) and eating high-fiber foods to ensure that your digestive system is healthy.
The Full Post-Gastric Surgery Diet
Once you have made it past week eight post-op, then congratulations are in order! You can now eat all types of food again without worrying about surgical complications or side effects after gastric sleeve surgery. Just remember to take things slowly with the first few weeks as this will help your stomach adjust to handling solid food again. From there, feel free to enjoy a wide variety of nutrient-dense foods, including meat, vegetables, fruits, whole grains/ bread, etc. This will allow for optimal health results while also helping you maintain energy levels throughout the day
For more direct guidance, talk to the Hospital BC team! We perform gastric sleeve surgery in Mexico, offering affordable rates and concierge service.