I feel terrible posting this when so many of you are struggling with the pre op diet. However, I am starting to feel like I am alone in the fact that my doctor does not require a pre op diet! Anyone else NOT required to do it?

My doctor told me to just do what works for me. After I stopped laughing and pointing at myself...I reminded him why I was there. So, I have cut red meat out completely for the past week and have only had chicken and fish a couple of times. Mostly eating veggie curries with tofu, oatmeal with fruit, and the occasional peanut butter sandwich and have lost 3 pounds. I see him again on Monday, which is 4 days preop. He may put me on fluids then, we'll see. I am going to try to go to fluids only on Saturday and see if I can get to surgery with a few more pounds off.

Wow. The main reason for the pre-op diet (based on my docs opinion and my extensive Googling) is to shrink the size of your liver prior to surgery. The liver lays on your stomach and they have to move it out of the way to insert the band. Obesity causes it to be oversized and rapid weight loss causes it to shrink and be lighter, so that after surgery when your liver is sitting back on your stomach that was just tugged and pulled and stitched... It is supposed to be less painful. I have actually heard of people going in for surgery and their liver was too large to peform it and it was put on hold. That must not be a concern to your doc?? Not to mention it helps you get used to eating NOTHING! Haha. I'm sure his decision is based on your particular situation and things will be fine, but there is nothing wrong with asking questions or putting yourself on the diet, just to be safe.

My doctor only had me do the day before surgery on liquids, nothing more than that.

TLM, you shouldn't feel bad.. your only obligation is to follow your doctors instructions. While many of our peers had to do an all liquid diet pre-op, I was ordered to do 1 Protein Drink in replace of a meal, followed by 2 low fat/low calories meals total of 1200 calories daily 2 weeks before.

In any event, it is best to start cutting out the 'bad' foods from your diet, including sugars and white starches. Incorporate more Protein in. It will give you a head start of what is to come...

Best of luck!

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I don't eat red meat and have now dipped below the 40+ BMI threshold. Maybe this has something to do with it... I will continue to follow his instructions.

You are not alone. My surgeon had me on Clear Liquids 24 hours prior to surgery, and of course, nothing to drink or eat after midnight the night before. However, just like you, I was wondering what the heck he was thinking as I had read time and time again that shrinking the liver was of utmost importance before bariatric banding. I decided to place myself on a liquid diet several days before surgery just in case. My surgeon poked a little fun at me and asked me why I felt the need to punish myself. ha. Actually I just wanted to get on with the WLS gig! When I asked my surgeon why he didn't require it. He said it has never been a problem for him and that all surgeons are different. Some feel more comfortable with 'shrinking' the liver. Obese people have fatty livers and so losing Water means you lose it in the liver too, so maybe for some surgeons it makes it easier for them to manipulate things or gives them a better comfort level. My surgeon who is also the president and medical director of the Bariatric Surgery Program at the hospital he is associated with, is seemingly a bit arrogant, but comes across exceedingly confident with his pre op instruction. As you continue to learn more about banding (pre op & post op) you will find that opinions are so varied... it can drive you crazy if, like me, I like things "black & white." ha. Just continue to ask questions and listen to YOUR surgeon. Afterall, apart from you, he/she is the one most vested in your surgical outcome. Best of luck!

I'm 4 days post op and feel great!

I didn't have to do one. At my consultation and initial exam, he said that based on my numbers (BMI, labs, etc) he wasn't concerned about my liver being too large for surgery so just do clear liquids the day before. We set my surgery date for 12 days later.

I did opt to do a pre-op diet. The surgeons normal pre-op was milk 3x a day and that's it. I did a modified version, doing milk during the day and a low cal/low carb dinner. I lost 13 lbs in 10 days time. I needed to do the diet for myself to jump-start my mindset.

My surgeon only requires you to do it if you have a higher BMI (mid 40's and above).

Mine didn't require me to do anything except nothing past 12:00am the day before surgery. I was a little nervous and tried to stick with healthy stuff and protien shake but my "last meal" go tthe better of me. However I had surgery on Friday and all went well so I guess it just depends.

I've been banded for almost 3 yrs - no pre op diet required. In fact, the night before my surgery was spent at Outback eating ribs! I just had to be NPO after midnight. I guess my liver was fine - he never said anything about it.

Good luck!

Marci

I have a 3 week pre-op diet due to my BMI. It is a good thing I have one though. It has totally helped me change my eating habits. Otherwise, I would probably be one of those nitwits who tries to eat a cheeseburger 2 hours after surgery=)

My doc only required a low card diet. I too felt guilty reading how everyone was suffering through weeks of liquids. But just listen to your doc and don't worry about what everyone else is doing