I'm having surgery on Thursday, and I'm on a modified liquid diet. According to the nurse and the paperwork, I need to get 70-80g of protein and 64 oz of fluid a day and I'm allowed 1 meal a day (3oz of meat and 1c raw or ¹/2 c cooked veg) all the way up until 6 hours before surgery. This seems odd to me. They are cutting into my intestines. If i have eaten 6 hours before won't there still be food in my guts? I want to have the best outcome possible and am thinking of doing all liquid starting tomorrow night.

I was told I can't have anything even water after midnight the night before my surgery. But, I'm scheduled to be admitted at 7 am which is about 7 hours so maybe it's not that odd?

I would ask the doctor or surgeon that question just to be sure.

3 hours ago, NeonRaven8919 said:

I was told I can't have anything even Water after midnight the night before my surgery. But, I'm scheduled to be admitted at 7 am which is about 7 hours so maybe it's not that odd?

I would ask the doctor or surgeon that question just to be sure.

same for me.

no food or water after midnight and my surgery was at 8am.

I am on a similar diet now. Two shakes and then a low carb dinner of the same portions of lean meat and veggies (mine adds non fat sugars free snacks and a small amount of fruit or starchy veggies). I do that for two weeks, BUT, two days before I switch to a liquid diet and then the night before (it doesn’t specify the time) I drink only clear liquids and after midnight it’s nothing (excepts a few hours before I drink a really small amount of Gatorade).

Everyone is a bit differnt but I agree witb you that actual food six hours before doesn’t sound right at all. I would call. I was given the wrong info about my diet too. Personally I would ask to hear it from the dr or a medial assistant. I was given the wrong info about the need for the Liver Shrink Portion alltogether. The front desk seconded what the nurse that did my paperwork told me but I still didn’t trust it. Yesterday I met with the dr to clarify and it was good I trusted my gut because I am in fact supposed to do it and it started yesterday.

Edited July 23, 20242 yr by ShoppGirl

I'd double and triple check and pose the question regarding the diet exactly how you did here...about food still being on board. I used to assist in surgeries and I've never heard of food past midnight (12 hours prior)! I wouldn't want to risk cancelling surgery due to crossed wires. Good luck on your surgery and welcome to the other side!

Same here in the UK, had to fast from Midnight before surgery. I was grudgingly allowed a small glass of water about 2 hours before surgery (i was parched) but that was it.

Same for both of my surgeries. I was on all liquid for a week and nothing after midnight (my 1st surgery was at 8am and my 2nd was at 9am). The only liquid I got was at the hospital and it was in a tiny cup when I had to take a couple of pills they gave me, and swished that little bit of water all around and savored it lol

I had no pre-surgery diet plan to to follow but did have to 'check-in' to the hospital the night before so they actually cut off my food at 8pm that night and then I was only allowed water until midnight. They also had me take a small amount of a sugar free isotonic drink at about 6am on the day of my op (8am), don't know why.

21 minutes ago, FifiLux said:

I had no pre-surgery diet plan to to follow but did have to 'check-in' to the hospital the night before so they actually cut off my food at 8pm that night and then I was only allowed Water until midnight. They also had me take a small amount of a sugar free isotonic drink at about 6am on the day of my op (8am), don't know why.

I had to do Gatorade start 4 hours before surgery and finish within a hour so by 3 hours before and they said it helps with nausea post surgery. Mine had to be regular one which has sugar so not certain if it’s for the same thing.

Edited July 23, 20242 yr by ShoppGirl

So it takes about 6-8 hrs for food to pass from your tummy through your small intestines to your large intestines. It takes about 36hrs in total for anything you eat to fully leave your body (pooped out). I’m going to presume you’re having gastric bypass which involves surgery to your small intestines (sleeve doesn’t) so not eating for 6 hours before sort of makes sense.

However, saying that every surgery I’ve had was nil by mouth from dinner the night before regardless of time of surgery. I know people who are told nothing after midnight, who get up & eat a meal at 11:30pm.

I had a pelvic MRI last week & it was nothing for 6 hours before which was odd because the images the MRI took of the pelvic region of course included the large bowel which would have been full of waste which was odd to me. ??‍♀️

Check with your surgeon. Only way to be sure.

I read through some other paperwork they gave me and found where it said nothing after midnight (but not on the page about the preop diet), so there is that. It's still just feels crazy to me that I was allowed to eat anything at all. I had a failed lap band in 2010 (11 of the worst days of my life until they removed it) and was on liquids for 2 weeks, and clear only for the second week.

I'm new here, I have surgery 8/19. I'm on a liquid diet for TWO WEEKS prior to surgery... has anyone else done two weeks? Seems like one week is the usual... and even then it looks like actual food is present in one meal a day.

Interested to see if anyone else has this hardcore of pre-op instructions.

thanks!!

6 minutes ago, DevonHinsey said:

I'm new here, I have surgery 8/19. I'm on a liquid diet for TWO WEEKS prior to surgery... has anyone else done two weeks? Seems like one week is the usual... and even then it looks like actual food is present in one meal a day.

Interested to see if anyone else has this hardcore of pre-op instructions.

thanks!!

My doctor put me on 12 weeks! Not a typo. 12 weeks of protein shakes and broth. I have 10 weeks to go. The doctor will have their reasons for the diet so I guess it's just individual difference.

43 minutes ago, DevonHinsey said:

I'm new here, I have surgery 8/19. I'm on a liquid diet for TWO WEEKS prior to surgery... has anyone else done two weeks? Seems like one week is the usual... and even then it looks like actual food is present in one meal a day.

Interested to see if anyone else has this hardcore of pre-op instructions.

thanks!!

Usually depends on how much you need to lose to shrink the liver and make the surgery safe. I did the sleeve 3.5 years ago and I was a little smaller and only had to do a week of this same diet. This time for revision I had two weeks plus two days of clear. But you’re right. I was able to have a meal a day. It’s not much though just 3oz lean meat and a cup of veggies. I have seen some people have to do a full month. I am on day 15 of 16 now. It’s goes faster than you would think.

Edited August 5, 20242 yr by ShoppGirl

10 hours ago, DevonHinsey said:

I'm new here, I have surgery 8/19. I'm on a liquid diet for TWO WEEKS prior to surgery... has anyone else done two weeks? Seems like one week is the usual... and even then it looks like actual food is present in one meal a day.

Interested to see if anyone else has this hardcore of pre-op instructions.

thanks!!

Two weeks is the usual length of the pre surgery diet. But there are difference in what format the diet actually takes. Some are all liquid like yours (can be shakes or milk based drinks or other liquids) or two shake meals & one meal. Mine was keto. It, as @ShoppGirl said, can be influenced by your staring weight & how much weight they want you to lose to reduce the size of your liver before the surgery. It may be your general health status. It can also just be your surgeon’s preference.

My two friends & I were each on a different pre surgery diet but all were two weeks long (2 of us had the same surgeon .) Each of us were in different places (health, weight) when we began.

10 hours ago, NeonRaven8919 said:

My doctor put me on 12 weeks! Not a typo. 12 weeks of Protein Shakes and broth. I have 10 weeks to go. The doctor will have their reasons for the diet so I guess it's just individual difference.

Wow. I’m only on daY one of liquids out of two and I do not envy you. Whatever it takes to make the surgery safe though, I guess.