Sleeve Gastrectomy

The effectiveness of the surgery will significantly depend on your pre-operative and post-operative diet. Your diet is crucial to the success of the procedure for three main reasons:

1. It helps reduce fatty deposits around the liver, which enhances surgical access to the stomach. Hence, the diet makes the procedure easier and safer.
2. It also lowers the risk of complications. Since obesity increases the risk of complications during and after surgery, weight loss can help in reducing that risk.
3. It helps you start a long-term commitment to weight control.

Ideally, you should start your pre-operative diet for a sleeve gastrectomy three weeks before the procedure. For this diet, you must plan to:

• Limit calories, especially carbohydrates. Certain sources of carbohydrates, like pasta and bread, are not necessarily bad, but reducing intake can help you lose weight.
• Maximise your protein. Consume 60 grams of protein or more daily. Good protein sources include eggs, chicken, lean ground beef, and salmon.
• Integrate healthy fats into your diet. Some fats are bad for your health, while others are not. Healthy fats are found in foods like nuts, fish, and olives. Consumption of other fats, like trans fats and the ones found in butter and oils, should be cut down.
• Keep hydrated. Drink plenty of water, and avoid soft drinks and alcoholic beverages.

Some surgeons may prescribe the use of protein meal replacement shakes as the pre-operative diet.

As you are nearing your surgery, you will need to switch to an all-liquid diet. You must restrict your intake to broth, gelatin, water, and low-calorie sports drinks (avoiding sodas). Starting at midnight on the day of your sleeve gastrectomy, you will need to avoid food consumption entirely. Failure to follow these guidelines may jeopardise your eligibility for the procedure.