Any surgical intervention in the work of the human body does not pass without a trace. It in one way or another changes the usual way of life, leaving memories and consequences for the body about itself. Gallbladder removal is an operation performed at the last stage of diseases such as cholecystitis and gallstone disease.
What is cholecystectomy?
Operation cholecystectomy - surgical removal of the gallbladder. The main function of this organ is the accumulation of bile produced by the liver, and its further transfer to the duodenum. Bile promotes the digestion and assimilation of many substances necessary for the body, and also activates the secretion and activity of the small intestine.
Due to the performance of functions that are significant for the body, the removal of the gallbladder significantly affects the change in a person’s lifestyle. We have to adhere to a special diet for a long time, which significantly limits the nutrition of modern man.
What diet will have to adhere to?
A diet after cholecystectomy is an indispensable condition for a full recovery. It is sparing nutrition that will help to establish the natural and natural processes of the body and to establish its activity in a new way. Therefore, one of the main points of recovery will be the psychological component.
The main principle of the new diet is not to overload the digestive system, food should not be delayed in the body for a long time.
Diet after cholecystectomy by day
This operation is difficult to tolerate by the body. On the first day, the condition after cholecystectomy is rather weakened. To help the digestive system recover, during the first day the patient is forbidden to eat and drink at all. Only periodic wetting of the lips with water and rinsing of the oral cavity is allowed.
The next day, liquid is introduced into the diet. It is allowed to drink unsweetened broths of wild rose, chamomile, clean water (still).
Such severe restrictions are caused by the need to reduce the load on the liver, biliary tract and other organs involved in the process of digestion and food processing.
The third day allows you to expand the patient’s menu with products such as kefir, jelly and sugar free compote.
On the fourth day, if the condition of the operated person is stable and he is recovering, he is allowed to start eating:
- low-fat soups;
- mashed vegetables (zucchini, potatoes);
- boiled fish of lean varieties;
- steamed protein omelette .
- watery porridge.
All new products should be introduced gradually and with caution. You will have to eat fractionally, at least 8 times a day, and the servings should be small and not exceed 200 grams. Be sure to use a sufficient amount of liquid. Its volume should not be lower than 1.5 liters per day.
During this period, you need to carefully monitor the stool. Avoid constipation, any tension can adversely affect the healing process. To this end, the use of carrot and beet soufflé, yogurt is allowed.
The diet after cholecystectomy, starting from the fifth day after the operation, may include bread (only stale), unsweetened dry cookies and crackers. The volume of flour products should not exceed 100 grams per day.
The second week after surgery
If the patient's condition is stable and he is recovering, then on the 7-8th day he will be discharged. What diet you need to follow after discharge, your doctor will tell you. The period of home recovery is no less important and difficult. Strict adherence to the correct diet will allow the body to get used to the new state and establish its work.
The menu should be drawn up carefully and carefully so as not to create an unnecessary load on the digestive system. Diet will have to be followed for the next 1.5-2 months.
What should be the diet after cholecystectomy? About the main recommendations:
- Food should be fractional, portions are small.
- The last meal no later than 2 hours before bedtime.
- At first, the strict exclusion of choleretic foods (rye bread, fruits, vegetables) is important.
- Food is medium temperature.
- Boiled or steamed food.
Meals a month after surgery
When the first and most difficult period after the operation has passed, a freer diet is prescribed ( table 5). Its basis is made up of proteins. The meat should be lean and cooked either steamed or baked in the oven without oil. Soups, in addition to vegetables and lean meat, may already include a teaspoon of oil. Eggs can be included in the diet, but not more than one per week, while you need to cook it soft-boiled or add to the omelet. Baked or boiled vegetables (zucchini, squash, broccoli and cauliflower, pumpkin), with the addition of lean meat or fish, also remain as main dishes. As a dessert, you can use cottage cheese casserole, baked fruits, marmalade or pastille. Bread is still consumed in limited quantities - not more than 300 grams. The consumption of oil is limited - no more than 10 grams and sugar - no more than 30 grams per day.
Diet after cholecystectomy allows the use of fish, but not in large quantities. Not more than once a week. Choose low-fat varieties such as cod or perch. All dishes should be in a dietary way (boiling, baking, stewing or steaming).
Why is proper nutrition necessary after surgery?
The main problem for the body in the postoperative period is to adapt to a new lifestyle. With the help of a diet, you should try as much as possible to avoid stagnation of bile in the ducts. Otherwise, complications may begin, such as the formation of stones or the development of an inflammatory process.
After cholecystectomy, the production of enzymes that contribute to the breakdown of food, especially fatty, is significantly reduced. For this reason, the patient is prescribed a sparing diet ( table 5) and fractional nutrition, and it is advisable to eat at about the same time. This helps to reduce the burden on the digestive system and the release of bile directly into the intestine.
Eating fatty and fried foods is completely eliminated. However, this applies only to harmful saturated fats. A certain amount of these elements is vital for the body, because fats are involved in metabolic processes. In addition, the inclusion of vegetable fats in the menu, which are known for their beneficial properties, is allowed.
One of the features of nutrition after removal of the gallbladder is the inclusion in the diet of products containing a sufficient amount of dietary fiber. It can be rice, rye bread and others. This is due to a problem that occurs in most patients who have undergone this operation. Diarrhea can torment a person for a short period, so it can stay with him for several years. If this symptom is detected, it is best to minimize the use of dairy products and caffeine (tea, coffee).
Proper menu design
Despite the presence of general prescriptions and recommendations of a doctor, do not forget to listen to the signals of your body. These or those products can be transferred differently. For example, often unpleasant symptoms and pain can be associated with eating fruits, vegetables, or dairy products. Do not forget about the presence of allergic reactions. Only considering all the features of your body, its reactions and dietary requirements, you will be able to choose the right menu. The recovery period after cholecystectomy is quite long, and a properly composed menu can stay with you for life, because you will have to adhere to the diet all the time.
What to eat after gall bladder removal?
Despite significant dietary restrictions, the menu of a person who underwent cholecystectomy should contain all the necessary elements and minerals. This is not always easy to manage, so often patients are prescribed periodic intake of vitamin-containing drugs.
The daily amount of calories entering the body should be at least 3000, while of these:
- 100 grams of protein;
- 100 grams of fat;
- 400-500 grams of carbohydrates;
- 5 grams of salt.
Specific Product Groups
Particular attention should be paid to products such as:
- Bread. Choose varieties made from rye seeded or peeled flour, while the bread should not be freshly prepared, but yesterday's baking. Black varieties are no longer in use because they are difficult to digest and assimilate. The daily intake of flour products should not exceed 150 grams.
- Bran. The use of bran will help the body cope with the load and reduce the likelihood of stone formation.
- Bakery products. Butter products are not completely excluded, but their use should be minimized. Allowed no more than twice a week to include buns, pies or cheesecakes without butter in the diet. It is allowed to eat: crackers, dry cookies. Products with dessert butter (cakes, pastries) are completely prohibited.
- Milk products. Prefer low-fat foods. It will be useful to add a small amount of fresh milk to tea or coffee. Porridge can not be cooked completely in milk, it is used in small quantities. Before going to bed, doctors recommend drinking a glass of low-fat kefir.
- Water. The amount of water required for daily use for healthy people is 2 liters. For a person who has undergone cholecystectomy, this amount can be from 1.5 to 2 liters, and any type of liquid, including stewed fruit, tea and others, is included in this figure.
Cooking Features
After the operation, even the cooking methods must be changed. Products are now carefully processed and cooked to a very soft state. Excludes any additional burden on the digestive system. It is better to give preference to steaming, while the use of oil should be minimized.
Any deviation from the general recommendations and, for example, the use of a fatty fried dish will immediately affect the body's poor health.
If a diet is prescribed after cholecystectomy, daily recipes may be as follows:
- 1 meal: cottage cheese casserole (140 g), oatmeal (150 g), a cup of tea.
- 2 meals: unsweetened yogurt (150 g), baked apple (100 g), a cup of dried fruit compote.
- 3 meal: vegetable and chicken soup (200 g), rice porridge (100 g), steam chicken cutlet (80 g), kissel.
- 4 food intake: crackers (100 g), dried fruit compote.
- 5 meal: meatballs with rice (200 g), zucchini puree (100 g), tea with milk.
- 6 meal: a glass of kefir.
Prohibited foods after surgery
Some products are banned after cholecystectomy:
- carbonated drinks;
- alcoholic drinks and cocoa;
- fried, greasy;
- sharp and salted;
- fatty meats (pork, lamb, goose);
- cakes and pastries;
- sausages;
- onions, garlic, sorrel;
- too hot or cold food;
- sour foods.
These products will contribute to the production of a large amount of bile and increase its viscosity, and similar processes are extremely difficult for the body after removal of the gallbladder.
After some time
After some time, the person gets used to certain restrictions on the menu. His diet is gradually expanding. The diet after cholecystectomy after 2 years will already include most of the usual products, but in a limited amount.