Question:
Questions for BPD/DS Post-ops...........

I read alot about the post-op diet for RNY Patients for the weeks immediately after surgery and am curious as to how the first few weeks for DS Post-ops are.... Different at all? The same diet? Can someone give me a hint on what to expect immediately post-op?    — lillbitofsin (posted on May 20, 2003)

May 20, 2003
Robin, remembering that all surgeons are different and your experience may vary.. here's mine. Almost a year ago, I came home after my BPD with NO DS on PUREED FOODS. Anything that I could puree into mush I could eat! I was SUPPOSED to stay on that until I saw my surgeon three weeks later.. but I'll admit I was cheating (adding in soft foods) before then. When I saw her my fears were calmed and I was told to start reintroducing things slowly as long as I could tolerate them. Immediately post op I was eating pureed meats, vegetables, pudding, mashed potatoes and the like.. whatever tasted good! Hope this helps you. ~Peace
   — Joscelin

May 20, 2003
Hi- I am about 13 months post-op, and it seems pretty much the standard that for the first 3weeks - 1 month post-op, all the is allowed is liquids and a strictly pureed diet. That is because your new 'stomach' needs time to heal just as any wound does after surgery, and you need to keep things nice and smooth around the area while it has time to heal. Then, after that, you slowly begin to work a solid-food diet into your regimen of eating. Make sure to follow Dr.'s orders!!! :)
   — mam352001

May 20, 2003
I had a DS at Mt. Sinai in NYC in Oct. 2001. Immediately post op, I was allowed soft foods. I lived on poached eggs, shredded, soft, moist chicken, milk, pate boursin and other soft cheeses and creamy peanut butter. I could also tolerate room temperature flat diet ginger ale. The only beef I could tolerate for the 1st month was baby food. A lot of people don't like baby meats; for some reason it didn't bother me at all. I added egg salad and chicken salad at the beginning of the 2nd month. I eat virtually everything now. In fact, I just got back from the Outback Steakhouse where I ate the rack of lamb with steamed veggies. I'm down to 138 lbs from 304 lbs before surgery. This was the smartest thing I've ever done!
   — dantevolta

May 20, 2003
My Dr is a cautious fella and takes things nice and slow. I was on a 7 week regime of clear liquids, full liquids, then pureed food, then soft foods. My the time I got to normal food, my stomach was healed on the inside and I was ready physically to accept the texture of real food. I have never had a problem of eating anything. When I first started foods, my Dr said this period of time I should concentrate on learning to eat again and not worry about protein. He said my main concern was not to dehydrate. after a month, he had me change my focus to increasing my protein. At that point, I also started watching my carb intake. Everyone's Dr is different and you should follow what your Dr says. If I can help any further, please let me know. DS 2/14/03 down 85 lbs.
   — Leslie E.

May 20, 2003
I had a straight DS with partial gastrectomy in May 2000. I had nothing for the first 24 hours, then clear fluids for 24 hours, then soft foods in small amounts for 24 hours, then sent home to eat pretty much what I wanted with the following exception: no red meat for 7 weeks, no chicken, pork or fish for 4 weeks. So I ate eggs, cottage cheese, mac and cheese, beans, lentils, etc. By the second weeks, I ate vegetable egg foo young. By three weeks, I ate most of a 6 inch fried falafil (ground chickpeas and spices) pita with tabouleh (chopped raw parsley, bulgar wheat and tomatoes) and pickled turnips. YUMMY! The doc said the stomach sutures would hold, but he delayed the meat because of the chance of bacteria such as e-coli or salmonella. All docs are different and have different rationale based on their belief system. I tend to trust my doc because he is a bloodhound on research and approaches these things very rationally.
   — merri B.

May 22, 2003
Hi Robyn, I'm 2 yrs post op and had surgery at Mt. Sinai in NY also. I was on soft food the very next day. I did have water and gatorade the first day after surgery. I remember oatmeal, banana,eggs, mashed potatoes, pureed beans(couldn't forget that). Pureed carrots etc...I had jello too. I haven't had any restrictions. I remember within the first week I actually had Lasagna. Any questions don't hesitate to ask.
   — Linda M.