I was scheduled to have my surgery yesterday (6/17/09) and it had to be postponed :thumbup: due to lab results indicating low potassium. I had blood work on monday morning and my dr. called me on tues. afternoon to let me know that there was a concern with the ressults, but he thought it was just a lab error. When I arrived at the hospital yesterdy for my surgery, they took more blood to double check my potassium...sure enough it was not a lab error...I had to turn around and go home. I can't begin to explain how disappointed i was.

My dr. explained that he thought the low potassium was due to a combination of my blood pressure medication and the required one week liquid diet. He told me to stop the BP med (which he prescribed) eat regular for a week and then back to liquids the following week with surgery rescheduled for July 1.

Anyone else have a problem with low potassium? I am going to try to bring it back up by eating a banana every day and hope that it works?!?!?! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I cannot imagine getting all the way to the hospital and preped for surgery only to be sent home AGAIN, i will just cry!

I'm sorry you are going through a tough time. I am sure they just want to make sure you are healthy for surgery, they don't want any further complications. I actually have been banded but then had low potassium. I have a kidney disorder that causes a slight edema in my legs, I was perscribed a Water pill. With the water pill and the new diet my potassium and Vitamin d went way low. I was perscribed a vitamin for both and told to eat things with a lot of potassium . Here are a few foods that are high in potassium, hope this helps,and good luck!

All meats, poultry and fish are high in potassium.

Apricots (fresh more so than canned)

Avocado

Banana

Cantaloupe

Honeydew

Kiwi

Lima Beans

Milk

Oranges and orange juice

Potatoes (can be reduced to moderate by soaking peeled, sliced potatoes overnight before cooking)

Prunes

Spinach

Tomatoes

Vegetable juice Winter squash

HI Jenny,

thank you so much for the food suggestions to help with my potassium...I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will get back to normal in time to have my surgery on july 1st. I am a bit worried that the liquid diet will bring it down again but i guess the dr. doesn't think it will be so bad as long as i am not taking my bp med. I will let you know how things go. Thanks so much for your post!

Jessica

I too had low potassium prior to surgery. My family doc put me on potassium 2 x a day until surgery and it was where it needed to be the day of surgery when my surgeon rechecked it. I was worried! My potassium was again low after surgery and I had to have a potassium drip in the hospital. I just had low potassium again (3 months postop) at my annual physical and tried to drink more and eat more potassium-rich foods (half banana daily) and it is back up again.

Hope your potassium improves and you are soon able to go ahead with surgery - I know what a worry it is!!

Edited June 19, 200917 yr by bambam

You know, I was kind of wondering why my dr. did not suggest putting me on a potassium supplement...I am assuming he is expecting to clear up the problem by taking me off of my bp meds...I hope that is enough..and my daily banana and orange juice during my liquid diet...thanks for all of your advice! Keep your fingers crossed for me on July 1st!