Before and After Diet Plan after Colon Surgery

Preparing your body for colon surgery is important as your colon needs to be completely cleansed and free from bacteria in order to prevent infection and interference during your surgical procedure.  The same goes for after your operation to slowly ease back into a regular diet.  Following a precise colon surgery diet will give your body the chance to prepare itself for the trauma of a surgical procedure and will slowly introduce different food types back into your diet in the days and weeks following your colon surgery.

In the days prior to your colonic procedure, you will be told to stay away from fibrous foods and green leafy vegetables.  A day or two before your operation, your doctor will put you on a strict liquid-only diet consisting of broths, gelatins, bouillons, popsicles and tea.  Consuming these foods prior to your procedure will cleanse your body of any foreign contaminates and will essentially rinse toxins and waste out of your body, preparing a safe and clean environment during your surgery.

Once your procedure is over and you have been discharged from the hospital, you may feel famished.  It is important to approach your regular diet slowly.  Continue the first couple of days after your colon surgery with the liquid diet.  Once you are confident that your body is ready for more solid foods, start eating foods with a little more thickness to them.  Things like milkshakes, puddings, cottage cheese, rice, plain pastas and yogurts will give your taste buds a change from nothing but liquid and will help your colon get used to a new texture of food again.  If you are able to tolerate these foods fine for a day or two, you can then move back into your regular diet.  Try to omit high fat foods as they tend not to agree with one’s stomach if you have not eaten them in a while.  Also, green leafy vegetables and foods such as cabbage, broccoli and melon can cause gas and should be avoided.  Eating gassy foods can cause a significant amount of pain and discomfort in your abdomen and colon which will still be tender from your colonic procedure.

If you find that your body is not tolerating your meals properly, you can switch back to liquids or soft foods for an additional day or two.  Another thing that may help is if you divide your three square meals a day into several smaller meals.  Your body will not have to digest as much food, keeping your digestive tract clear and your stomach well rested.  It is crucial to follow a doctor ordered colon surgery diet for any colon procedure to ensure that your surgery will go smoothly, without complications and you will be able to recover quickly.