Are all post op diets different?

[Mnicole 17]

I've read a lot of things that say there's 5 phases.

Clear liquids, full liquids, purées, mushies, and then solids. However...on the paperwork I received from the surgeon says that the first 4 weeks are Protein Shakes and purées. Is it common to skip the just clear and full liquid stages?

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[KristenLe 5,980]

@@Mnicole There's many different versions. I never have Clear Liquids - Days 1-7 are Protein shakes/Liquids (but not true Full Liquids) Days 8 thru Week 6 are pureed/mushy foods (and continue to supplement with Protein shakes). They should explain your post-op diet more before surgery or before discharged.

[suzzzzz 1,005]

Each surgeon has their own plan. It is not common to skip stages. If you trust your surgeon to operate on you, trust them to heal you heal and adjust to your new stomach too!

[Sai 785]

@@Mnicole Pretty much, so just follow your surgeon's instructions. ^^ Yesterday was my day 39, and I was cleared for anything. I have heard many on here who said they weren't allowed certain foods for 3 months, 5 months...etc. :(

[blizair09 3,250]

People have posted about all kinds of different post-op plans. While they all have common characteristics (liquids, purees, soft foods, etc.), they are all different in terms of times.

I would echo what the others have said about following your surgeon's plan. My plan seems to be among the most conservative that I have read about (even full liquids and packaged Protein shakes didn't begin until Day 10), but I'm going to follow it because that is what I have been asked to do.

Good luck!

[theantichick 2,204]

I've read a lot of things that say there's 5 phases.

Clear Liquids, full liquids, purées, mushies, and then solids. However...on the paperwork I received from the surgeon says that the first 4 weeks are Protein shakes and purées. Is it common to skip the just clear and full liquid stages?

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Different surgeons have different protocols, and I'll second and third what other people have said: if you trust your doc to operate, follow their protocols.

It's unlikely your doc is going to have you eating purees the day of or after surgery, so even if you go through the phases faster than others, you still kinda do them.

For instance. My doc had me on clear liquids the afternoon of the surgery. If I tolerated them (which I did) she wanted Protein Shakes tested the day after (day 2). She doesn't like to send people home until she knows they're able to keep fluids and Protein Shakes down. So I was technically on clear liquids for about 14 hours, then advanced to full liquids in the form of Protein shakes.< /p>

Interesting note: medically speaking, "full liquids" includes a bunch of things that aren't actually liquid. Yogurt, puddings, jellos, etc. are frequently included in a "full liquid" diet. Which makes it seem like "full liquids" isn't a good term, but it's the one used medically.

My doc keeps us on full liquids (including sf pudding, yogurt, sf Jello, etc.) until our 14 day checkup, then moves us to the "soft foods" phase. Which seems to skip purees, mushies, what have you. But her instructions are to start with pureed type foods and advance as tolerated up to anything that's considered "soft" and moist (she had a list, included eggs, shredded chicken, tuna, etc.). So she's not really "skipping" those phases, just allowing the patient to advance as tolerated.

Then at the 1 month checkup, I was cleared for pretty much anything, using the same "advance as tolerated" process. Start with the easier to chew/digest food and work up.

So the answer to your question is yes, but...