Gastric Sleeve Diet: What To Eat Before And After Surgery

Obesity or excessive weight is an issue that affects a large number of people. It is crucial to maintain a healthy lifestyle to achieve the desired weight. If you have tried many conservative methods, including medications, therapies, exercise, and yoga to reduce weight, but achieved no effective results, surgery is a suitable option. Surgery is a non-conservative method through which a large number of people (obese) have achieved effective results for weight loss.

Here is a brief guide for “Gastric Sleeve Diet: What To Eat Before And After Surgery”. A structured diet can help in quicker healing and prevent complications.

Gastric Sleeve Diet: What To Eat Before And After Surgery | A Complete Guide

The gastric sleeve diet may involve some crucial foods before and after the surgical procedure for faster recovery and significant weight loss. It is crucial to have a high protein intake and sodium before the surgery. After surgery, you can move to protein-rich foods from liquids. These liquids and protein-rich foods can offer sufficient hydration. Avoiding food that leads to complications is generally recommended.

Gastric Sleeve Diet Before Surgery

Below are some diets that you can follow before the surgery:

Before the surgery, it is recommended to follow a liquid diet. Clear liquids and protein shakes can help the digestive system prepare for the surgery.
Foods with low sodium can be helpful to minimise swelling during the recovery period.
Hydration is crucial before surgery.

Gastric Sleeve Diet After Surgery

Patients are recommended to avoid clear liquids, including water and sugar-free beverages, after the surgery and in the initial recovery period.
With the progress in recovery, the patient is allowed to eat softer foods, such as sugar-free shakes, yogurt, and soups.
It is recommended to prioritize protein intake in the recovery procedure that prevent malnutrition.
Hydration with water and sugar-free beverages is essential after the surgery.
The foods that are difficult to digest are recommended to avoid as they lead to complications.
A 30-minute rule that includes avoiding liquids for 30 minutes before, after, and during meals is crucial that prevent fullness.

What is the purpose of the Pre-Operative Gastric Sleeve Diet?

The main goal of the pre-operative gastric sleeve diet is to reduce the size of the liver, as a small liver can result in safer surgery. A small liver makes it easy for a surgeon to perform surgery in a decreased time and reduce the complications.
A healthy pre-operative gastric sleeve diet can reduce body fat, which can enhance the safety of the surgical procedure.
Losing weight before surgery can minimize the surgical risks and complications during and after the procedure.
If you adopt the pre-operative gastric sleeve diet, it can help you to practice the eating habits after the surgical procedure is performed.
The procedure of pre-operative gastric sleeve diet starts two or three weeks before the surgery, which can help decrease the surgical risks.

What do I need to avoid in the pre-operative Gastric Sleeve Diet?

Some sugary beverages, such as soda and juices, are recommended to avoid.
Alcohol should be avoided to maintain a healthy liver.
Fried foods and excessive fats that lead to an increase the weight should be avoided.
Fast foods are recommended to avoid maintaining a healthy stomach and liver.

Closer to Surgery (2-3 Days Before)

A few days before your surgery, your healthcare professional adds some dietary transitions, including a clear liquid diet. Such a diet is crucial to be added to your routine before surgery to reduce liver damage and ensure the stomach is empty.

Important Points to Remember:

Chew the food thoroughly, at least 20-40 times, and make it an important habit for post-surgery.
Small and frequent meals can help reduce the stomach’s capacity.
Protein shakes are essential.

The Post-Operative Gastric Sleeve Diet

The post-operative diet can be an essential part, which is designed to allow the stomach to recover quickly and reduce discomfort by promoting a healthy weight-loss procedure. Each stage in the recovery procedure includes a different type of diet.

1. After the surgery, it is crucial to focus on hydration and allow your stomach to heal initially. Just after the surgery, your stomach can be swollen, for which only a few items in the diet are allowed. The allowed dietary transitions may include water, sugar-free gelatin, unsweetened fruit juices, and tea without caffeine.

2. When you feel like you can tolerate the clear liquids, you can move on to full liquids. These liquids can provide more nutrients and protein.

Important Considerations after the surgery:

Prioritize the consumption of protein.
Avoid drinks with sugar, carbonation, and chunks.
Introduce new foods that can be tolerated easily by the stomach.

3. After 1 month of the surgery, you are allowed to consume some other varieties of the blended foods, including water, meats, cooked vegetables (generally steamed or boiled), soft fruits, and plain Greek yogurts.

4. After 2 months, when your stomach continues to heal, you can progress to soft and easily digestible foods.
Eat slowly and take small bites to chew food thoroughly.
Overeating can lead to pain and vomiting; avoid overeating.

5. After 2-3 months, when you come to a normal diet, your stomach is small, so it is crucial to maintain a healthy lifestyle that can help in faster recovery. Focus on essential dietary items, including healthy fats, high protein, lean meats, and whole grains.

Foods to Limit or Avoid Long-Term:

Avoid sugary foods and drinks that can lead to dumping syndrome.
Fried foods are difficult to digest, so you need to avoid them.
Carbonated beverages can lead to discomfort; avoid them.
Alcohol is high in empty calories and leads to dehydration; it is generally recommended to avoid.

Conclusion

Gastric sleeve surgery can be beneficial to reduce weight, but it is crucial to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Add crucial items to your diet as mentioned above. Some lifestyle changes, such as mindful eating, regular exercise, food monitoring, vitamin supplements, and hydration, can help to reduce significant weight after the surgery is performed. It is crucial to consult a healthcare professional for long-term success.

Frequently Asked Questions Gastric Sleeve Diet: What To Eat Before And After Surgery

Question 1. Is the gastric sleeve diet just an eating plan?

Answer. The gastric sleeve diet is not just an eating plan, but it is an essential lifestyle transition. Following the gastric sleeve diet before and after the surgery, as recommended by the bariatric surgeon, can help with faster recovery, healing, significant weight loss, and a healthy life.

Question 2. How is gastric sleeve surgery performed?

Answer. The Gastric sleeve surgery is performed by using modern and minimally invasive techniques. This procedure involves smaller incisions, resulting in reduced pain, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery times.

Question 3. How much time does it take for full recovery after gastric sleeve surgery?

Answer. Full recovery includes returning to a normal diet and resuming normal activities. Full recovery after gastric sleeve surgery can take around 1 month (4-6 weeks), during which hospital stay can be of 1 to 3 days. In most cases, patients return to their work within 2-4 weeks. Heavy lifting and activities are recommended to be avoided in the recovery period.

Question 4. Can I drink water during gastric sleeve surgery?

Answer. No, you are not allowed to drink water during the surgery. It is not recommended to drink or eat anything during a surgical procedure. A patient is instructed to follow the no-drink or food method from the day before surgery. You are not allowed to drink water. It is essential to ensure that your stomach remains empty before and during the surgery for effective results.

Question 5. Do I need to consult a bariatric surgeon for the Gastric sleeve diet?

Answer. Consulting a healthcare professional who has great experience in performing bariatric surgery can be crucial and recommended. Consulting a professional can help to develop a proper diet plan and address any concerns regarding diet.

Question 6. Do I need to monitor my diet stages before and after the surgery?

Answer. A specific diet after the surgery should be according to the unique needs and recovery progress of the patient by the doctor or healthcare team. It is crucial to monitor the different stages of the diet that can ensure the comfort of the patient and prevent the factors that lead to complications.