Diet after Stomach Surgery

Diet after Stomach Surgery

Stomach surgery to help treat obesity or cancer will mean that diet plans will need to change accordingly. Both bariatric (obesity) and cancer procedures may mean that part or (sometimes in the case of cancer) all of the stomach is removed and the body is not able to hold as much food as it once did. Diet after stomach surgery is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Diet after bariatric surgery

Bariatric surgery is an excellent way for people that are classed as morbidly obese to lose weight quickly. The aim of surgery is to either restrict the size of the stomach or to bypass part of it; each procedure will decrease the size of the stomach so that only small amounts of food are needed to fill it. The diet after stomach surgery is the patient’s side of the procedure and they must agree to stick to the healthy eating and exercise over a long term period so that weight loss can be maintained and general health will not suffer.

The following of a balanced diet after stomach surgery will combat the fact that weight is being lost at a substantial rate and will allow the body to maintain a lean mass as-well as being properly hydrated. A good diet can also be helpful in skin elasticity and minimising hair loss that can occur.

For the first two or three weeks after surgery, the hospital will place the patient on an all liquid meal plan, this will last for two or three weeks. Over the first few days the liquid will be applied via a drip and once well enough the patient can begin to consume small amounts of liquid.

After the three week stage the diet can be advanced to include some soft food this will last for around six to eight weeks. Regular consistency foods will be brought into the diet gradually over the next six to nine months. Vitamins may also be recommended to replace what is lost in the new diet and doctors may suggest that the patient takes a selection of vitamins:

  • Iron
  • Calcium
  • B12
  • A,D,E and K vitamins

Diet after cancer stomach surgery

Surgery to remove a cancerous tumour may mean that part or all of the stomach is removed, this means that diet after stomach surgery must be changed accordingly. If you have had part of your stomach removed, the stomach will no longer be able to hold the amount of food it used to, and this will require that smaller meals have to be consumed during the first few months. Eating smaller meals will help the stomach to stretch and a normal diet can be resumed over time.

If you have had all of your stomach removed then the food will pass straight to the small bowel, this will not have the capacity to hold as much food. The diet must be changed to eating regular small meals around six times each day as you will feel full quicker than you used to.