Bariatric surgery dramatically decreases the size and capacity of a patient's stomach. This makes proper nutrition and hydration the principal challenge of the bariatric patient. The diet immediately following surgery is only liquids for several weeks. After that stage the patient can move on to a very modified solid food diet that will evolve over the next few months.
Surgery
Bariatric surgery is a common procedure in which the surgeons shrink the stomach of a patient. The procedure is done by stapling the stomach, making the portion that holds food about the size of a shot glass. In some cases part of the small intestine, which absorbs nutrients, is bypassed, resulting in more rapid weight loss. Another popular form of the procedure is to band the stomach so it will only hold a small amount of food before the person feels full. Due to the reduced capacity, proper diet becomes crucial to avoid malnutrition after the surgery.
Initial Diet
For the first several weeks following surgery the Duke Medical Center recommends an all-liquid diet with the following considerations: Since most of our fluid is consumed in the food we eat and bariatric patients are no longer eating, it is recommended patients drink large amounts of a low- or no-calorie beverage, like Propel water or Crystal Light, to avoid dehydration.
The other part of the initial diet is to ensure the patient consumes adequate vitamins, minerals and protein. This requires taking a multivitamin and consuming meal replacement drinks, like Ensure. Ideally, a meal replacement shake will have little sugar and a lot of protein, providing the body with the building blocks it needs for cell repair.
Long term
After the three weeks of the liquid diet patients are allowed to move on to soft foods that are easy to digest. The post-surgery stomach is much smaller and quite sensitive, so the goal is to not tax it while it finishes healing. Again, food choices should be high in protein and low in sugar and fiber. A nutritionist who specializes in bariatric patients can suggest different types of foods that fit the criteria and are palatable.
After six or so weeks of soft foods the body is ready to begin eating "normal" foods again, just in lesser quantities. It is still advised by the physicians at Duke Medical Center that patients eat high-protein, low-sugar, low-fat foods. Proper hydration is still important at this stage, and that emphasis should continue.
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