Gastric Sleeve: What Should My Pre-Op Diet Include?
Eating a nutritious diet and practicing a regular exercise routine are critical factors for weight loss. However, these changes often do not produce fast results, and when someone is morbidly obese, they may need a quicker, more effective solution. Gastric sleeve surgery reduces the size of the stomach and controls your appetite to encourage significant weight loss.
To promote the success of gastric sleeve surgery, a patient’s body should be well-prepared for the procedure. Prior to gastric sleeve treatment at the Texas Center for Bariatrics & Advanced Surgery in Plano, TX, Dr. Cribbins recommends our patients follow a gastric sleeve pre-operative diet that will help prepare the body and start the transition to their post-surgical lifestyle changes.
Why Do I Need a Special Pre-Op Diet?
Most people realize that they will need to make significant changes to their diet following gastric sleeve surgery, but some are surprised to learn that their diet should actually change prior to their procedure. There are a few reasons that a gastric sleeve pre-op diet is beneficial to our patients.
Gastric sleeve surgery is an invasive procedure. As with any other surgery, this treatment takes a toll on the body. Diet plays a significant role in making sure the body has the vitamins and nutrients that promote a smooth and timely surgical recovery. The right pre-op diet can make recovery much easier for patients.
A gastric sleeve pre-op diet can also help the surgery go smoother. To access the stomach and place a gastric sleeve, our surgeons need to lift the liver out of the way. Most people who suffer from obesity also suffer from fatty liver disease. Fatty liver disease enlarges the liver, which can make gastric sleeve surgery more complex. Fortunately, with a proper pre-op diet, the liver can shrink in size.
Finally, the recommended gastric sleeve pre-op diet is very similar to the type of diet that patients will need to follow long-term to encourage successful weight loss results. A pre-op diet allows patients to slowly transition to their healthier lifestyle.
When Do I Start My Pre-Op Diet?
The size of the liver can shrink fairly quickly, but it doesn’t happen overnight. To give ample time for the liver to respond to dietary changes, we ask patients to alter their diet for the two weeks leading up to their gastric sleeve procedure. We will provide patients with a specific time to adopt these changes based on the date of their gastric sleeve procedure.
Dietary Guidelines
We will provide our patients at our Plano office with specific pre-op diet guidelines in the weeks prior to their surgery. In general, patients can expect to follow a diet that is:
- High in lean proteins
- Low in carbohydrates
- Low in sugar and unhealthy fats
- Nutritionally balanced
Ideal food choices during this timeframe include chicken, fish, protein shakes, vegetables, nuts, and fruit. Patients also need to ensure they are staying well-hydrated. Water is the best choice, but any non-carbonated beverage that is free of caffeine and sugar is acceptable.
In the 24 hours prior to surgery, patients will need to avoid solid foods altogether. Patients can drink protein shakes on the day before surgery up until the time that will be specified by your surgeon. After that, only clear, non-caloric beverages are allowed.
Learn More
If you are considering gastric sleeve surgery and would like to learn more about how to prepare, the surgical procedure, or the recovery period, the doctors at the Texas Center for Bariatrics & Advanced Surgery would be happy to provide you with more information. To get in touch with our doctors, send us a message online at your earliest convenience, or call (214) 501-1333.