What to Eat and What to Avoid After Surgery
- Written by:Department Of General Laparoscopic Surgery
- Published: January 11, 2021
- 4 min Read
Surgeries can result in anxiety inside a lot of people. So, knowing what to eat and what not to eat after the surgery calms the patients. Presently, this surgery is the most preferred treatment for gallbladder stone, hernias, and anti-reflux hysterectomy. Moreover, people also carry out surgery for weight-loss. Furthermore, the doctor uses a small incision to carry out the process in the abdominal area.
The doctor inserts a video camera with high-resolution known as laparoscope through a single incision. The camera helps the surgeon to look inside the body while he moves tools inside the abdomen. He carries out the work through other incisions he made previously.
Food preferable to eat after laparoscopy
After going through this major surgery, it is essential to eat healthy to recover faster. Since eating the right food can avoid conditions like high blood glucose and constipation. Additionally, they are also necessary for increasing the protein content in your body to heal faster. Thus, the required food choices are:
Start with a liquid diet.
It is good to only have a liquid diet after going through the surgery. However, if the physicians find it okay to eat regular food, you can progress with it. The liquid diet food contains all clear liquid varieties of food like soup or broth, milk, curd, pudding, etc.
In addition to these, you can also include cream of rice, creamy soup after straining it, custard, and sherbet. Make sure to avoid food with seeds and nuts. However, if you are lactose intolerant, choose lactose-free options.
Fiber is a must
Please include as much fiber as possible it is essential for the healing process. High-fiber food not only helps in recovery but also helps in preventing complications like constipation. Constipation is prevalent after the surgery. It is highly annoying as it increases the pain and even the chances of hospitalizing again.
Instead, add fiber food supplements, such as psyllium husks, adds high-fiber food to your diet. The supplement is not wrong, but obtaining fiber from a natural way is proven better. High-fiber food includes:
- Whole grain bread: Eat bread that contains whole grain and are dark in color. Producers refine white bread to a large extent, so it is not a good source of fiber.
- Fruits: Fresh fruit contains high amounts of fiber and vitamins.
- Cereals: Every cereal is not rich in high-fiber content. Make sure to check the label before buying it; it should contain high fiber and low sugar. Look that your cereal contains fiber with a name on it. Some famous breakfast names are cream of wheat or oatmeal.
- Vegetable: One of the most excellent sources of fiber is vegetables. Moreover, you can purchase it frozen or fresh.
Avoid food that can cause constipation.
Constipation is the common complication that you can suffer after surgery. This complication mainly occurs because of painkillers such as opioids. This medication is frequently used in the days after the surgery for releasing the pain. The medicines have side effects of lowering the process of the intestine.
However, some food helps in preventing the condition of constipation. In contrast, other foods can make constipation worse. Foods that can cause constipation are:
- Cheese: Cheese is rich in fat.
- Processed food: Processed food has a high fat and sugar content and a little bit of fiber.
- Red meat: Beef and other types of red meat are rich in high saturated fat.
- Dried or dehydrated foods: Some examples of dehydrated foods are beef jerky, dried fruits, prunes, and specific potato chips.
- A dairy product like milk: Avoid milk and other full-fat dairy product like sour cream and ice cream.
- Sweets: Try avoiding sweets like candies, cakes, pastries, and additional sugar content.
Fresh fruits and veggies
If you eat fresh fruits and veggies, it is a high source of both fiber and nutrients. Both the content is essential for recovery and is always advisable by the doctor after surgery. However, it does not mean canned or frozen food is terrible. It is also good. But try to differentiate them between what is right and what is wrong. For example, take fresh broccoli and ignore processed food like canned broccoli soup.
Eating a larger quantity of fruits and vegetables can increase the gas problem, which is often very embarrassing. But they usually pass within two or three days. In the second place, if the complication increases to abdominal cramping, then reduce the intake level. You can also use a gas reliever such as Beano or Gas X.
Low-fat dairy product
Dairy product can be an excellent source of healing after surgery as it contains a lot of protein. But many people experience constipation after consuming dairy products after surgery. There are also cases which show dairy product enhances the secretion inside the lungs. Thus this secretion may result in chronic cough. Therefore, it is best to avoid the dairy product.
If you can continue consuming dairy products without becoming sick, then consider low-fat dairy products. These products include yogurt, cottage cheese, and skim milk. Avoid low-fat cheese for better protection.
Lean protein for a diet
You will find lean protein in lean meats like turkey, pork, and chicken. Seafood also contains a high source of lean protein. However, avoid red meat as it has a high amount of saturated fat, and it is capable of triggering constipation.
If you don’t eat meat and is a pure vegetarian, there are options other than meat from where you can get protein. You can eat beans, tofu, nuts, tempeh, and texturized vegetable protein.
Conclusion
Apart from all the food diet mentioned above, eats as your body demands. Everybody reacts differently and naturally heals at a different pace. So it is essential to listen to your body. Remember the things you are consuming should be healthy. And if there is any problem relating to your health, consult your doctor.
Related Read
10 Foods that are Good for Gut Health
There are almost around forty trillion bacteria inside our bodies, most of which usually stays in the intestine. When said together, they are called the gut microbiota. Your body needs to keep you healthy. However, there are some bacteria which can cause damage to your intestine and give rise to different disease.
Patients also want to know
Is Laparoscopy Surgery Painful?
After you have gone through laparoscopy, there may be moderate pain and thumping in the incision areas. However, the pain gradually decreases within a few days. Moreover, your doctor will prescribe you medicine for treating the pain.
Featured in 10 Most Trusted Hospitals in Pune

Google Reviews

Manoj Deshpande
Our Health & Diagnostic Packages
- Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)
- Serum Alanine Transaminase (SGPT)
- Serum Alkaline Phosphatase
- Serum Aspartate Transaminase (SGOT)
- Serum Bilirubin (Total, Direct & Indirect)
- Serum Creatinine
- Serum Electrolytes
- Serum Protein
- Thyroid Profile Total (T3,T4&TSH)
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin D
- PAP Smear
- Haemogram (Cbc)
- Dental Consultation(Package)
- Dietician Consultation (First Visit)
- Obs & Gynae Consultation(Package)
For detailed information contact us
- 24/7 Support Team: 020 6760 6060
Expert Medical Team
VishwaRaj Hospital prides itself in providing the best services for the most critical departments. We are equipped with the best state-of-the-art technology,
Related Blogs
About Writter

Department Of General Laparoscopic Surgery
In the department of Laparoscopic Surgery at VishwaRaj Hospital, we have a team of well-trained and experienced surgeons who have performed several Laparoscopic surgeries together. We use the latest technologies and machine in order to get the best and accurate results and reports.
Was this blog helpful for you?
they found this blog helpful
Share this with
Last medically reviewed on