Diet before and after stoma surgery

Diet tips before surgery

Good nutrition is essential in order to have a speedy recovery. Therefore, you should try to follow a healthy and balanced diet in the time leading up to your surgery. That means: 

• Eat a variety of fruit and vegetables. 
• Base meals on starchy carbohydrates like potatoes, bread, and rice. 
• Include dairy or dairy alternatives (e.g. soya drinks) in your diet. 
• Get protein from fish, eggs, meat, or beans and pulses. 
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and eat in small amounts. 
• Drink 6-8 glasses of fluid a day. 
• Cut down on foods and drinks that are high in fat, sugar, or salt. 

Keep a low fibre diet after surgery

Right after your surgery the area around the ostomy may be a little swollen. This means that certain foods will have a harder time passing through - especially high fibre foods and nuts. 

In the first days after surgery, it is a good idea to adopt a ‘little and often’ approach to meals in order to avoid blockages, which can be painful and uncomfortable. Start off with ‘soft foods’ such as fortified soups, runny porridge, rice pudding, yogurts, and smoothies. 

Until the swelling and discomfort around the ostomy wears off, it is a good idea to stick to a ‘light diet’. This means you should stick to plenty of protein-based foods, low fibre fruits and vegetables along with pasta (not wholegrain) and white bread. 

Getting back to your normal diet

When you feel that the outside peristomal area starts to heal and you feel less sore, it is a sign that the inside is also starting to heal. Around that time, you can start introducing some of the foods that are part of a balanced diet. 

You should, however, do this little by little in order to avoid complications. This is especially important when you introduce more stodgy food like high fibre vegetables and nuts. Remember to drink lots of fluid to help the food move along the gut.