Why is a liquid diet prescribed post op?

A Liquid diet is prescribed post op so that your stomach and all the suture/staple lines can heal properly. If you try putting solid foods in too early, you could rupture your staple lines. Solids would also cause irritation to the staples, which could cause leaks and or ulcers to form. Your stomach needs rest in order to heal correctly. I am not sure about diets post op for the band, but it seems like if there is something restricting access to your stomach that you need foods that will pass thru the opening easily.

Healing. You've been sliced and diced and sewn back together.

During digestion of food, our stomachs realize peristalsis. This is the esophagus and stomach muscles contracting and relaxing as they massage food through our stomachs. Doctors want to keep this at a minimum so your sutures can heal. And, if you get food stuck in your stoma/band, and continue eating, the pressures could cause the sutures to tear away. One more? People experience a lot of nausea for weeks after surgery. Regurgitating solid food back up through the stoma/band could also do harm to the integrity of the surgery.

tmf