Once you have had duodenal switch surgery, not only will your stomach be smaller and banana-shaped, but the food from your stomach will take a much shorter route through your intestines and will have less time to absorb nutrients. This requires a very restricted diet post surgery, and one of the most important restrictions you will face is that of your food portions and the types of food you can eat.
- Your new long and lean stomach pouch will not be able to hold the food portion sizes you were used to eating before surgery. Instead, you will only be able to eat roughly four to six ounces of food at each meal.
- You will be able to eat various foods like lean meats and cheeses and even dense proteins like beef and pork.
- Some patients develop food intolerances. It is not unusual for intolerance to lactose is developed.
- Avoid foods that are high in fat because the fat may not be entirely digested by your digestive system.
- Try not to eat concentrated sugars. Sugar is an empty calorie that provides no nutritional value.
After several months, your stomach will have stretched slightly and will be able to handle slightly larger portions. Eventually, you may be able to eat normal portions. Normal portions would be those portions that closely correspond to an actual serving size of the food you are allowed to eat. This will still be much smaller portion than you were used to before bariatric surgery.
