The Role of Clinical Nutrition

A registered dietitian meets with you before and after surgery to provide sound nutrition recommendations according to your individual needs. Prior to surgery, an assessment of your current intake is completed, along with education regarding the initial stages of the diet after surgery. You will learn not only what to drink, but also how much to drink during this initial period. Potential food-related problems and possible ways to solve them are also reviewed.

Two to three weeks prior to surgery, you will follow a high protein, low calorie, full liquid diet. The purpose of this diet is weight loss, which results from the decrease in both abdominal fat and the size of the fatty liver. By doing this, surgery can be completed more easily and the potential for surgical complications is decreased.

During your hospitalization, you will see a registered dietitian who will remind you of the products you should have available when you get home. In addition, the dietitian will review:

1. The types and amounts of liquids you should drink
2. The meal pattern recommended after surgery
3. The importance of taking chewable multivitamin/mineral and chewable calcium supplements, and
4. Eating techniques and behaviors to help you achieve success.

Following surgery, you begin a diet of clear liquids, with the diet being advanced to full liquids after a few days. Your diet will then be advanced to soft foods in small amounts, and finally, to a general diet. The registered dietitian works with you to advance your diet appropriately.

After surgery, appointments are scheduled for two to three weeks, three months, six months, and twelve months. These meetings are to insure that you are consuming an adequate amount of protein and fluids, and to help solve any food-related issues that you might have. Individuals who have regular follow-up appointments have been shown to be more successful in their weight loss efforts.