Gastric Sleeve Surgery: Diet Modifications Before and After

Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Diet Modifications Before and After

Gastric sleeve weight loss surgery can help people with a significant weight problem lost weight quickly and easily. The procedure is designed to remove a large percentage of the stomachs capacity, enabling you to eat less and still feel like you have consumed enough. Moreover, the treatment can trigger hormonal changes, resulting in reduced bouts of hunger. A special diet is usually followed before and after surgery. Medical professionals involved in your treatment will advise you on the most appropriate diet but if you’re considering gastric sleeve surgery, here are some of the changes you might be asked to make if you proceed.

Prior to the gastric sleeve procedure, you may be asked to consume low fat and no fat foods and exclude fried foods and sugar from your diet. The total cessation of alcohol consumption and carbonated sugar beverages may also be recommended. If you’re a smoker, it’s likely you’ll be asked to cease smoking some time before the operation.

Following gastric sleeve surgery, it’s likely you’ll be asked to make some changes in the way you eat in the weeks following the procedure. Immediately after the operation, patients are often placed on a fluids diet, consisting of tea, water, sugar-free jelly and low sugar liquid products.

During the week following the procedure a patient’s stomach may still not be ready for solid foods. This is because during the weight loss surgery a portion of the gut is removed, and the remaining area stapled to secure it. Commencing a solid food intake too early can result in damage to the staple lines. You might be instructed to consume items like low fat yoghurt, sugar free gelatins and protein fruit drinks during this period.

From that point it’s likely your diet will progress to pureed foods in the weeks following the surgery, including pureed chicken and red meat. It’s usually important during this stage to ensure the food is properly mashed and not eaten too quickly. This can prevent obstruction of the opening section of the stomach. You may also be advised to avoid processed sugars and concentrated fruit drinks.

Several weeks post surgery, you may be ready to consume soft solid foods. Your doctor will give you advice on the types of food to eat during this period. It’s likely to include low fat and low sugar foods like vegetables or even low fat cottage cheese. You’ll need to continue to eat slowly during this period and leave several hours in between your meals.

Some four to six months after the operation you should be well on your way to a normal diet. Fruit, vegetables, eggs and lean meat can usually be consumed during this period, in accordance with your doctor’s instructions, although you may be asked to continue to avoid carbohydrate rich foods for a little longer.

Gastric sleeve weight loss surgery can require you to strictly follow a pre-op and post-op diet. This is intended to ensure that the risk of complications is kept to an absolute minimum. While the required changes to your eating habits before and after surgery are likely to be significant, the improvement that weight loss brings to your lifestyle can be even more significant. If you’re considering gastric sleeve surgery, discuss it with a medical professional today to find out if it’s a suitable option for you.