Hi

I'm interested in all your experiences of the pre-op diet. I'm due for banding on 19th March and have been told to have yoghurt only (along with normal fluids) for ten days before. I see there are a number of other recommended pre op patterns.

My surgeon says that the yoghurt diet makes the liver smaller and so makes the surgery easier from a technical perspective. Has anyone else heard this? The cynic in me suspects that the pre-op diet is designed to get me mentally prepared for the first few weeks post op.

What have others done in the week or two pre-op?

Gordon

Hi Gordan, I think most of us have to do that 2 week diet before hand to "shrink the liver". I agree that it's probably partly to get you used to eating a certain way. As far as yogurt, you are the first person I have heard of that was told to just eat yogurt. Many of us were put on protien drinks and some on clear liquids. Yogurt sounds better to me. But being realistic, you could shrink your liver just as well if you threw in some green veggies and lean protien. After surgery it is important to stay on liquids or semi liquids but I can't imagine why it would be important before. Now I'm going to get all kinds of flack from other bandsters for saying that. I'm running away:)

Hello Gordon,

I am scheduled for 3/17 to be banded and started on Monday my diet two weeks before the surgery. I am doing atkins shake for Breakfast, 11:00 am Protein bar, 1:00 pm another shake, 3:00 pm snack vegs with one tablespoon of salsa with fat free cream cheese (they give you a list of things you can eat as a snack) 6:00 pm dinner I have lean cuisune or under 300 cal dinner on the list (I don't want to cook so I pick up the frozen ones) but it would be 4 oz of meat with lots of vegs and 1-2 oz of starch. For dinner snack is sugar free Jello and 64 oz of Water a day. This is under 1000 cals a day I can't exceed that and I have to exercise 30 minutes a day. I live in Boston and go to Beth Israel Hospital is not bad just I miss the real food instead of the shakes.