I see some people do a 21day protien diet I am doing 5 days before surgery nut a coworker had hers dome and could eat a regular diet right up until the night before. I guess I'm jealous of those who don't have to limit themselves but I don't understand why it's so different when it's the same surgery

It all comes down to who yyour surgeon is and what he requires. It is also dictated on your BMI those with lower BMI don't have to be on food restricts for very long as opposed to those with higher BMI's.

Every surgeon is different. I was one of the lucky ??) ones who had NO pre-surgery diet plan.

Like the others mentioned every surgeon is different and it depends on your BMI. My BMI was over 50 so my weight was a huge risk for surgery. So I had a 2 week pre op diet with liquids and small Protein meal for dinner. The whole purpose is to shrink your liver. If your liver is too big at surgery it can make the surgery difficult or cause to be rescheduled. I'd ask your surgeon why they gave you the diet that way you get a better understanding for their reasons.

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Who would you trust to build your house. A carpenter with 40 years experience or a carpenter with 5 years experience? Its kind of like doctors. To be certified for any kind of gastric surgery a doctor has to do atleast 100 surgeries of the one he is being certified for. How long do you think that took?

What I am getting at is who would you rather believe, a doc who has performed 300 surgeries Or one that has over 1500 under his belt? If the one with 1500 says do a 14 day diet you better damn sure do it. Just cause a doctor is a doctor doesnt make him special. Experience is key in determining your outcome. Or you could take a chance on being the one who has complications.

Just some good old fashion logic. No harm meant. Good luck on your choice

I didn't have a pre-op diet. My doc has performed hundreds of VSGs and got his MD at Columbia medical school. When I asked him about the liver issue he laughed and said he can work with any sized liver. Mind you I had a BMI of 51.

What I'm trying to say is do your research. Find a doctor that you feel has the right education and experience to make you confident in him/her. They're all going to have their own styles and requirements based on those factors. Some want pre-op diets because that's what they were taught or learned in the beginning. Others are going to have different opinions. If you feel confident in your surgeon just follow the plan and you should be OK.

P.S. Be careful as sometimes quantity does not always equate to quality.

My first appointment with the surgeon was October 17, 2011 and she told me she wanted me to lose 20 lbs. by January. I started my new way of eating on October 18 and never looked back. I had lost 40+ lbs by the appointment two weeks prior to my surgery date (3/21/12) so she said I didn't need to do the two week liquid diet prior to surgery. She said I did not need to lose more weight but not to gain any weight. I turned out being 50 lbs down on the day of surgery. I know that my surgeon truly takes each individual's situation into account and no two of us had the same dietary prescription prior to surgery.

I don't think it has anything to do with experience. It's just what different doctors feel comfortable with & prefer for their patients. I think it's important to follow whatever your particular doctor recommends because that's the way they're used to doing things & that's the way they know how to help you the most. I read a post the other day where someone said they didnt have any kind of post-op liquid stage. Some only have a week or two on liquids. I'm going to have 6 weeks on liquids post-op. it's what my surgeon wants, so it's what I'm going to do. Maybe I could have the same results following someone else's plan, but I picked my doctor & I'm going to trust him. If you have questions about why your doctor does what he does, I think it's important to ask him.