I'm scheduled to be banded August 20, 2009. I've been told by my dr that he does not require a liquid pre-op diet. No actual eating changes are necessary for me at all. I don't think I've seen anyone else with these instructions - just curious, IS there anyone else that didn't do the liquid diet prior to surgery? I know they're the drs, but I'm kinda scared to not do the diet after hearing so many others who have had to. There must be a reason for the liquid diet everyone's been on, right?

Thanks for your help! Gettin' kinda nervous...

Kim:unsure:

I was not required to do a pre-op diet. I only had to follow a less strick post op diet. 2 days clear liquids, 2 days liquids then 2 weeks mushie and 2 week soft.

No pre-op diet here ~ although I did get a stern warning when I went in for my pre-op appt that I had gained weight (1 pound) from when I was in the week before and that if I did gain too much weight they would cancel my surgery when I got there. I knew they wouldn't cancel so I just kept on eating whatever I could get my hands on and still ended up losing 4 pounds the week prior to surgery :thumbup:

I was not placed on a pre-op diet but was told not to gain any weight and eat light 24 hours proir so that helped/

No pre-op diet here either...but a fairly strict post op diet.

I was on a preop diet for 10 days. It wasn't a liquid diet, just a strict, very low calorie diet, eating small portions, (which was quiet good in terms of preparing me for eating after the band.) I lost a stone over the course of ten days, but the point of the preop diet isn't losing weight so much as shrinking your liver, which needs to be moved during surgery to access the stomach. Apparently, if the liver is very fatty, it can be quite brittle and more easily damaged during surgery.

i saw a dietician who said I needed to loose 10% of my weight before I could have the surgery, but I actually ended up gaining 2lbs and still had the surgery so I would say no I didnt have one.

I don't understand the doctors who do not require pre-op diets. It is for your own good, it shrinks the liver making it less fatty so when they move it around during surgery it is not tore. No doctor is "that good" that they can't have these issues. Plus if you are serious about losing weight and following the post op diet why wouldn't you do a low calorie diet before hand? I lost 12 lbs on my 10 day pre-op diet and it just helped to kick start the rest of my weight loss...I am now 4 weeks out and down 23 lbs.

Good Luck!

I was told just a liquid diet two days prior. I have been dieting since I got my surgery date so I can get a jump start on losing the weight.

I lost 15% of my body weight prior to surgery by following Kaiser's 1200 cal per day pre-op diet. No liquid diet whatsoever, and protein shakes are not allowed - even post-op. I have photos of my liver during surgery; it was as flat as a pancake! I did cut the carbs out of the 1200 calorie diet pre-op, which is what really shrunk my liver along with the weight loss.

I was instructed to do clear liquids only (broth, crystal light, sf popcicles, sf jello) for three days prior to surgery. I have never fasted, so this will be interesting....

I am not required to do one. My Dr. says he does require some people, especially males to do them but that I wouldn't need to.

I only had liquids the day before surgery. I had mine done at a large research hospital and they had recently stopped requiring the long pre-op diet based on studies they had done.

I'm being banded in 9 days and my surgeon did not require me to be on a pre-op diet of any kind. He said that he used to make his patients go on a 2 week liquid pre-op diet, but he said that it was unrealistic and they often failed. He said that it does shrink the liver, but that he's done so many of them now that a fatty liver doesn't get in his way. Guess he's a little bit arrogant!? He has done many bariatric surgeries and has a center of excellence, so I trust him.

I only had a five-day pre-op diet. I was told to just restrict my carbs and fats. I just ate a lot of high protein foods.

No preop diet here either. i am thinking it is probably done on an individual basis and your health condition.