Eating healthy after hernia surgery is necessary for quick recovery and healing. Your diet plays an important role in the recovery process after surgery. Depending upon where your hernia is, your diet plan may vary. Therefore, it is important to adhere to the dietary guidelines explained by your hernia surgeon to avoid any complications.
How to identify a Hernia?
A hernia develops when tissue pushes through a weak spot in the muscle on the abdomen. There are several types of hernias that develop from the chest to the hips, also in the upper thigh and groin area. According to Dr. Valeria Simone MD, board-certified general surgeon at Southlake General Surgery, Texas, the following hernias are the most common among individuals:
- Umbilical hernia
- Inguinal hernia
- Hiatal hernia
- Femoral hernia
Sometimes, you might not be able to notice the hernia until you cough or there is physical activity such as lifting heavy objects. These small hernias generally don’t have symptoms or any pain. If these types of hernias are not treated over time, they get bigger.
In a few cases, hernias become strangulated or get stuck in the abdominal muscle impacting the blood circulation or obstructing blood circulation in other areas. If you notice strangulated hernia symptoms such as nausea or vomiting, fever, intense pain, and change in bowel function, change in skin color. You should immediately seek medical attention. Hence, it is a serious medical condition and requires surgery.
Dietary Guidelines After Hernia Surgery
After hernia surgery, it is always recommended to stay on a liquid diet instead of heavy meals. Your doctor will also brief you about the diet plan, recovery process, and how you can take shower. After surgery, you may have some anesthesia effects that make you feel nauseous or experience vomiting. It is always recommended to follow your diet after hernia surgery. It includes:
- Fresh juice
- Broth soups
- Nutritional Drinks (except chocolate)
- Yogurt
In case, you have an incision close to your belly button or in the lower abdomen, you can take small meals other than liquids from the second day after surgery as advised by your doctor. The diet plan recommended by your doctor will help you heal faster.
After hernia surgery, you may experience constipation, even if you are not prone to it. Pain medicines, anesthesia, change in diet, and less physical activity are a few responsible factors that can cause constipation. It is important to add fiber-rich foods and plenty of fluids to your diet after hernia surgery. The following are foods you can add to your diet:
- Vegetables in the diet such as broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes
- Beans and pulses such as green peas, lentils split peas
- Nuts, Grains, and seeds like almonds, oats, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, walnuts
- Fresh Fruits such as apples, oranges, mangoes, watermelon, berries
Nissen Fundoplication and Diet Plan
Not only eating a healthy meal but also choosing a healthy food source for diet after hernia surgery is always difficult. A few interventions develop swelling of the esophagus.
Nissen fundoplication is a procedure used to treat a hiatal hernia. This sort of hernia develops when a part of a tissue or muscle of the stomach pushes through the diaphragm and into the chest area.
After surgery, the recommended diet is a complete fluid diet. This diet includes all types of food that can be given in liquid form such as:
- Cow milk, Soy milk, almond milk, Yogurt, vanilla Ice cream
- Cream of wheat
- Nutritional drinks (except chocolate)
- Creamed vegetables (strained)
- Vanilla pudding
Nissen Soft Diet After Hernia Surgery
Your diet will be switched to the Nissen soft diet after a couple of days of your hernia surgery. This soft diet will have complete details about what food you can eat and what you should avoid.
You will receive diet instruction about foods that are soft and easy to swallow that forestall any risk of complications such as choking because of the swollen esophagus. After hernia surgery, this soft diet is generally recommended for at least six weeks.
You can take beverages that are not carbonated or free from alcohol or chocolate, along with the Nissen soft diet. You should avoid bread with a hard crust, crackers that have seeds, greasy, and highly seasoned meals. Avoid grains and cereals that have dried fruits and nuts.
You can take soft bread products such as pancakes, waffles, etc. You can take cereals such as oatmeal, cornflakes, or grits or you can choose that can easily mix and soften with milk.
You can also add eggs to your diet, it is a good source of protein. You can take boiled, poached, or scrambled eggs and avoid fired items. Rice, potatoes, and pasta must be cooked enough to get soft.
Fresh fruits and fruit juice are other good options here to heal faster but you can’t have all types of fruits such as pineapples, dried fruits, or fruits that have seeds.
Peanut butter and cottage cheese are also a good source of protein that you can add to your soft diet. Cheeses that have peppers or crunchy peanut butter should be avoided.
You can also choose to have ground, chopped, or minced meat that has no or less gristle. You can include moist, super tender, cooked poultry products but meat that includes high fat should be avoided. All vegetables included in the diet plan should be cooked enough to get soft and avoid food that can cause gas:
- Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli
- Brussels sprouts, corn, green peppers
- Sauerkraut, Rutabagas
A few Tips for your Diet
It is necessary to add a small and frequent meal to your diet after your surgery because one large meal can develop postoperative pain. If you take a small six to eight meals in a day that will not put extra pressure on your stomach. Eat slow and chew your food properly. After your meal, take a small walk or remain upright for about 20-30 minutes to let your digestive system function smoothly.
Avoid carbonated beverages for about six weeks after the hernia surgery to reduce the complications such as gas. Avoid chewing gums and drinking through a straw, this can increase the intake of air in the stomach further leading to gas. Don’t consume alcohol, citrus juices, and tomato-based drinks, as these can result in an increased stomach acid level.
Eating sugary products such as deserts after meals are suggested as it moves quickly from the stomach to the intestines. Avoid taking them on an empty stomach it can create a few complications such as diarrhea, nausea, dizziness, cramping, and weakness.
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