Question:
I am on the pre-op liquid diet..............

Is there anyone out there who had to the pre-op liquid diet and ate regular foods..........like one time a day or every other day.......not clear liquids, just regular liquids? IF so did you surgeon still do surgery one you?    — trstears (posted on July 22, 2005)

July 22, 2005
Hi Tammy, The purpose of the liquid diet is to get weight off before surgery to make your surgery safer by shrinking the size of the liver so the surgeon can more easily see your stomach. He may cancel surgery if you don't have enough weight off. I know liquids are tough to do. It is only temporary and it also tests how committed you are to getting the weight off. The surgeon wants to do your surgery as safely as possible. Hope this helps.
   — monymony

July 22, 2005
Hi. My surgeon just requires clear liquids the day before, and no beef for three days before. Being a nurse, I know that usually people are on clear liquids the day before to help cleanse the colon, so that when they go in, there is not stool in there.
   — cmadere

July 22, 2005
I would think that the reason for the liquid diet is to ensure that all digested food is out of the digestive tract. This is very important if you are having a surgery that requires cutting into the intestine. If there is partially digested food in there and it escapes it can make you really ill. My dad had to have emergency intestinal surgery last year and the partially digested food caused a lot of complications. He spent 12 days in the hospital, most of them in ICU. So, I'd say it is not worth the risk to eat during that time. Also, I bet your doctor also wants to make sure that you can comply with the restrictions in diet that occur post-operatively. I know if I were the doctor and I knew that a patient didn't comply with the two-day pre-op diet, I'd have my doubts as to whether or not they could be compliant after surgery. And I'd wonder about the possibility of even more complications. So I'd say that they put you on that particular diet for a very good reason and to deviate from it would be a very unhealthy choice. But if you do, remember to always be honest with your surgeon because your life is at stake. Best wishes.
   — Donna F.

July 23, 2005
Mona is right - I was on liquids for two weeks prior, specifically to lose as much weight as I could before surgery, allowing my surgeon to see better. In addition to what Mona said, the first place we lose fat is around our organs. Dropping even 10-12 pounds can make a big difference. Follow your doc's orders. They were given for a reason. Good luck!
   — Snick

July 24, 2005
I know it is tough... but there is a reason. Your surgeon finds that he/she gets better results and a safer outcome by having patients on liquids for a period prior to surgery. You are putting your life in his hands, and there are so many things that are out of our control, it is very important that you do everything that is IN your control to come out of this alive and without complications. Inform the family this is something you MUST do, clean out the fridge, ask for their help in not bringing food around you for these two weeks, and for them to remind you to not eat anything but liquids. Go nuts on jello (put a splooge of cool whip on each one you eat!), eat 20 sf ice pops in a row if you want to, drink gallons of yummy watermelon slushies! Make a game out of it... you can do it bella. Susan Maria
   — SusanMaria