How do I eat after digestive tract surgery?

Hello @bearose

I'm glad that you will be able to see your doctor next week. I hope your appointment goes well. I suggest you bring a list of questions about diet and supplements for constipation. Since you said you have never been referred to a registered dietitian, this might be a good time to ask for one. I have had three surgeries of the upper digestive tract and have met with a dietician twice. Her suggestions were beneficial to me.

Another referral to consider is asking about a pelvic floor therapist. They can offer great ideas for diet, abdominal massage, and other techniques to address constipation problems. Here is a link to information about pelvic floor therapy you might find interesting: https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/pelvic-floor-physical-therapy-benefits.

Having a team of professionals on your side will provide you with much more support than just talking to your physician. I look forward to hearing from you again. Will you post and update after your appointment?

I had emergency surgery this past September after a Laparoscopic removal of a 6.5 m. cyst on my ovary. I was in severe pain and went back to the hospital for this emergency surgery and had ended up with stomach hernia and part of my small intestine was dead.
I did not speak with a dietician before I left the hospital, but I was told by the surgeon to eat a bland diet to help heal the intestine, which I did.
Previously in August I had to go to the ER for an impaction and constipation. I had believed the cyst was causing havoc on my GI system. So had that surgery on 9/4 to remove the cyst. Then was back in the hospital to have the emergency surgery on 9/7.
After I got out of the hospital, while on the bland diet [no fiber] things were not moving. My stomach was hard and sore where the one incision is located and again, I was constipated. I
was given a cleanse to use by the GI doctor in August and on 9/21 I went back to the ER.
Well, things started to move but after a CT scan, it was found that I had an abscess in the incision site.
I was discharged the next day and my system hasn't been the same. Ducolax and Fleets became my best friends.
I started to do some research on my own, and have limited chocolate, dairy, but have extra fiber to my Kashi Cereal with Fiber One, as well as eating an apple or two a day. I have not had to use a Fleets enema for 4 days now, but everything is slow moving, with tons of gas.
I will be seeing my GI doctor next week, after trying to get an appointment since I got home in September.
As I have IBS-C, I had a regular regiment since 1986; Miralax, stool softeners and Citracel Caplets, but this hasn't worked after the surgery. I no longer can take Miralax as it bloats my stomach and gives me severe pain. I've tried Milk a Magnesia and Senokot, but to no avail.
So looking forward to next week.

@bearose so sorry about your long and painful ordeal and hope you get relief soon ! Among the first foods with fiber for me were canned pears and applesauce, low sugar versions…I even gently heated bananas at first (with rice crispies and almond or soy milk )….simple chicken soup (but no matzo balls, will constipate you )…smooth peanut or almond butter is another food easily tolerated…eggs—must be fully cooked….also, mashed potatoes and cooked carrots…olive oil can help, too. Just a few ways to eat as we help our body to heal. Wishing you the best !

I had emergency surgery this past September after a Laparoscopic removal of a 6.5 m. cyst on my ovary. I was in severe pain and went back to the hospital for this emergency surgery and had ended up with stomach hernia and part of my small intestine was dead.
I did not speak with a dietician before I left the hospital, but I was told by the surgeon to eat a bland diet to help heal the intestine, which I did.
Previously in August I had to go to the ER for an impaction and constipation. I had believed the cyst was causing havoc on my GI system. So had that surgery on 9/4 to remove the cyst. Then was back in the hospital to have the emergency surgery on 9/7.
After I got out of the hospital, while on the bland diet [no fiber] things were not moving. My stomach was hard and sore where the one incision is located and again, I was constipated. I
was given a cleanse to use by the GI doctor in August and on 9/21 I went back to the ER.
Well, things started to move but after a CT scan, it was found that I had an abscess in the incision site.
I was discharged the next day and my system hasn't been the same. Ducolax and Fleets became my best friends.
I started to do some research on my own, and have limited chocolate, dairy, but have extra fiber to my Kashi Cereal with Fiber One, as well as eating an apple or two a day. I have not had to use a Fleets enema for 4 days now, but everything is slow moving, with tons of gas.
I will be seeing my GI doctor next week, after trying to get an appointment since I got home in September.
As I have IBS-C, I had a regular regiment since 1986; Miralax, stool softeners and Citracel Caplets, but this hasn't worked after the surgery. I no longer can take Miralax as it bloats my stomach and gives me severe pain. I've tried Milk a Magnesia and Senokot, but to no avail.
So looking forward to next week.

I had my right colon removed and small intestine removed 6 weeks ago due to chrons disease, 5 days after the operation I ended up getting ileus for two days and then 4 weeks later ended up back in hospital due to vomiting (mostly bile, couldn’t keep food down) ct scans bloods done ect came back reactive ileus again. It’s been one week since I got discharged again I haven’t been too bad a bit of pain but nothing major, eating a low residue diet, appetite has been very small, Basically had anyone experienced ileus twice after this type of surgery and when would be the best time to start bringing new foods into the diet?

Doctor told me to go back to my normal diet last week when I was in hospital but when I eat regular things I get awful cramps so sticking to stuff I can easily digest.

@hopeful33250 thanks for reaching out. The sous vide approach was a combination of dumb luck at first then a bit of experimentation. A friend got a sous vide and made some steak with it that I decided to enjoy. It didn’t upset my system as much as normally cooked/grilled steak does. So I bought a sous vide and tried it myself and found that extended cook times appear to work for me. I have tried a well trimmed chuck roast with as much fat and connective tissue removed as possible, then cut into bite-sized pieces and sous vide at 135 degrees for 4 hours and it turns out incredibly tender (and more importantly, digestible). This cut would normally take only an hour or so, but it seems that the longer cook time helps break down the meat without overcooking it. I cannot do a cut like ribeye, just way too fatty, but I have had success with well-trimmed chuck, tri-tip, and flank steak. As a side note, I also take pancreatic enzymes, but no amount of Creon will let me eat a ribeye…

Some sous vide accessories are pretty affordable, like the one from InstantPot which I use. Give it a try! I hope you find success with it.

@tbraibish, I appreciate you sharing about your dietary changes after your surgery. I have had three surgeries of the duodenal bulb, and I understand how it changes the type of foods you can eat as well as the way food needs to be prepared.

You have worked out a great eating plan. How did you come to use the sous vide cooking method? Did someone recommend that to you?

My sympathies to you… vomiting bile f##king sucks. I had a Whipple procedure to remove a tumor in my duodenum 2 years ago and continue to struggled with many foods. While my situation is somewhat different from yours there are some similarities. Some of things that I have found that have helped me eat a more “normal” diet are eating leaner cuts of “softer” meats like fish, chicken, and some pork. My body struggles with things like steak and lamb, but I have found that ground beef and ground lamb are easier for me. Also, if you choose to reintroduce cuts of meat into your diet consider eating cuts with the least amount of fat and connective tissue and try cooking using sous vide for longer time periods (the sous vide cooking process seems to help tenderize the meat). I usually sear the meat in a hot cast iron skillet after the sous vide. I don’t do it often but sometimes I want steak. Fast food is no good and I always regret eating it whenever I slip up and order some. For me, meals of softer meats and vegetables are the way to go.

Something to be sure to pay close attention to is your body’s absorption of nutrients. I was dealing with extreme fatigue and it wasn’t until I started having neuropathy that we figured out I was not absorbing B12. So I now get weekly shots and take a heavy daily dose… we are still figuring things out. But I encourage you to talk to your doctor about getting blood work to check your vitamin, electrolytes, iron, etc. as you try to get back to some type of a normal diet.

Best of luck to you!