I am worried about my pre op diet. I have been fighting the National Health Service in the UK for 2 years trying to get them to band me. They have now agreed to this, but have "outsourced" the procedure to a private group of hospitals. This is all fine, because they have an excellent reputation; however, they have supplied me with a diet sheet for my 2 week pre op diet. This details daily menus that I have to follow to shrink my liver. This seems to differ a lot from the liquid diet most people seem to have to follow. For instance, a typical day’s menu is as follows:

Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled

Lunch: 2 small slices of bread with 2 thin pieces of ham

Evening meal: 4- 6 oz chicken with 2 servings of vegetables.

Will this diet shrink my liver enough for surgery? I would hate to have fought this battle over the years to then get to the operating table and the procedure be cancelled because my liver is too large and in the way.

Well, my liver shrink diet was low fat (compares to yours) low carb (not the bread) low calorie (mine was about 400 cal a day) high Protein.

However, each and every surgeon seems to have a different diet. I would think that your diet works or they'd have modified it by now.

Unless you know your liver is really huge I wouldn't worry about it, but a call to ask them specifically would be good, too. Ease your mind, make sure you didn't just slip through the cracks.

What a lovely healthcare system! Anyways I have heard others on this website have diets like this. And quite frankly you are lucky you won't go nuts without eating anything! From what I understand basically it is the low sugar they focus on because that is what they are trying to clear out of the liver. Of course I heard two things that it was sugar or fat. So either way your liver should shrink. I understand being somewhat disconcerted when you hear others diets are more strigent.

John,

My pre-op diet was similar to yours. My surgeon called it the liver shrinking diet. Apparently it works because my liver wasn't too fatty.

Good luck to you!

All that is important is that you are on a low carbohydrate, high protein diet. Believe it or not ,two pieces of bread, the only carbohydrate you listed on that days suggested menu is considered low carbohydrate. Now make sure the two veggies you eat for supper are not starchy, ( like potatoes or corn) and you should be fine.

my doctor said that i could essentially eat anything i wanted as long as i didn't eat any carbs. this did include all forms of bread and pasta, and most sweets. for about 10 days, all i ate was meat and eggs.

Good you guys who had to just do low carb pre-op. my liquid diet sucked. even after 5 months just the thought of a sugar free carnation instant breakfast makes me sick!

just as long as you are following your doctors ordered diet you should be ok. congratulations on being approved and good luck with your surgery:thumbup:

I wouldn't worry about it I only dieted for 2 days before my surgery and my liver was fine. I found out on Friday I was having my surgery on Monday. So I think that you will be fine.