Has anyone NOT done the pre op diet....what happens?

[lidibear]

My dr requires one week across the board for every patient. I did two for my own state of mind. Another surgeon I saw in the area requires two weeks for every patient. Not based on weight. Every dr has their own protocol and go what they see best for their patients. But there is a reason for why they do it.

[tmclenn]

actually the larger you are the larger your organs are due to more blood vessels needed to pump the blood through your larger body. so yes larger people have larger organs. I didn't say it was due to BMI. I was saying my doc ordered no preop for me and I even talked to the surgeon on the phone. I do agree binging prior to surgery is a no no but there is a reason more than half sleeves don't do a preop. the other mumbo jumbo is the red tape and hoops caused by insurance companies. larger people are more at risk for everything which is why people with higher BMI have to go on liquid to lose weight prior. skinny people can have a fatty liver that is true. I haven't heard a single story that says surgery failed due to failing a pre op. they want the stomach empty which is obvious. I plan on a three day liquid and bowel cleanse and that's just for my own piece of mind not because I was told to do so. people can do a liver cleanse if they want to shrink the liver.. follow your docs plan that simple..

Sounds like you know what you are doing and what will work for you, so go for it

[LaffeyTaffey]

I agree with Terry You're all so knowledgeable! Thank you. I really like the idea of doing a cleanse beforehand - I've done it twice before.

[niamh]

My impression from all the people on here over the past few months is that the difference in guidance is due primarily to the doctor's preference, not the size of the patient. My BMI at the time I met my doc was 40, and he told me he gets everyone to do the same pre-op diet regardless of size in order to reduce the fatiness of the liver which then decreases the risk of the liver tearing. While it's more common for overweight/obese people to have a fatty liver, thin people can have fatty livers too. My doc puts people on a low fat low cal diet, not liquid. Other doctors are apparently less cautious. I wanted to stick to it to give myself the best chance of a trouble-free surgery.

I guess my challenge to the original poster is whether they feel they are ready to commit to major lifestyle change post-surgery if they aren't prepared to do it for a couple of weeks before. If you really want your last hurrah on holiday - why not reschedule your surgery for a couple of weeks later?

[mangomaid]

You are having major surgery so it is worth ensuring that you have the best possible chance of it be safe and successful. If you are not ready to do this, are you really ready to have a sleeve? You will be able to enjoy all your favourite foods again, just in smaller amounts.

If you are unsure about doing the pre-op diet, I suggest you get a copy of this book and read it before you have the operation:

The Emotional First Aid Kit: A Practical Guide to Life After Bariatric Surgery, Second Edition [Kindle Edition] by Cynthia Alexander . An excellent and realistic book (despite the sometimes hectoring tone) and essential reading once you have decided to go ahead.

Good luck!

[Anissa Christine]

My surgeon requires the same pre-op two week high protein/full liquid diet for all of his patients. It is not based on BMI, size of the organs, etc. Also, I have not read any research that states that a pre-op diet causes people to lose weight slower post-op. Reading different posts is NOT true research. I do research for a living so I am somewhat of a stickler for people reading a non-scientific article and/or making a few observations and making random generalizations. I lost 12 pounds on my pre-op diet and 43 pounds post-op (in 3 months). Honestly the pre-op diet allowed me to address my binge eating behaviors, self-sabotaging behaviors, various food associations, and my emotional ties to food that have plagued me the majority of my life. Post-op I have not had any issues related to food...I don't sneak food, eat things that are unhealthy for me, nor do I turn to food in times of emotional ups and downs. So for me the pre-op diet was my "cleanse" in more ways than one! Good luck to you!

[gemini*eyes]

So your saying reading information straight from the horses mouth of hundreds of people that have already had the experience and taken the time to post it.. isn't actually research? oh.. ok then! I also read all the bariatric medical journals as well as every single study and statistical data available to me.. made phone inquiries to the Bariatric Center of Los Angeles, and spoke to my surgeon on the phone prior.. Guess thats not "true" research either.. LOL! Some people would argue with a wall! Not to mention I specifically looked for people in my age range with my same weight and height.. So I would have a more accurate read on what to expect. You can't lump together, people that weigh 400 pounds with people at 200 pounds. Thats 2 whole people in size. Nothing they do will be the same. Not the pre op and not the rate of loss and not the skin and not the end results .. nothing would be the same.. After "RESEARCHING" with at least 100 people in my age and size the conclusion is most had little to no pre op and the reason their doc gave was they weren't as large as some that require the pre op. Even some that did the pre op, did it half a$$ and still ate up to the day before... And the other conclusion was the non pre opers lost weight faster "in the beginning" simply due to the fact they stopped eating and went straight to liquids after the sleeve surgery. Not that the rate of overall loss is faster.. Just the beginning stages.. Some people that are really big can't even walk to their mailbox, so of course they need a pre op to lose some weight to make surgery safer and easier on them.. to each his own..

so have fun sitting on your butt "RESEARCHING" and telling others what they spent countless hours over the last few months wasn't TRUE RESEARCH .. sorry we all can't be professional researchers.. we do the best with what's at hand.. hold the phone people.. don't post your experience here because professional researcher here thinks your posts are random generalizations!

[Anissa Christine]

So your saying reading information straight from the horses mouth of hundreds of people that have already had the experience and taken the time to post it.. isn't actually research? oh.. ok then! I also read all the bariatric medical journals as well as every single study and statistical data available to me.. made phone inquiries to the Bariatric Center of Los Angeles, and spoke to my surgeon on the phone prior.. Guess thats not "true" research either.. LOL! Some people would argue with a wall! Not to mention I specifically looked for people in my age range with my same weight and height.. So I would have a more accurate read on what to expect. You can't lump together, people that weigh 400 pounds with people at 200 pounds. Thats 2 whole people in size. Nothing they do will be the same. Not the pre op and not the rate of loss and not the skin and not the end results .. nothing would be the same.. After "RESEARCHING" with at least 100 people in my age and size the conclusion is most had little to no pre op and the reason their doc gave was they weren't as large as some that require the pre op. Even some that did the pre op, did it half a$$ and still ate up to the day before... And the other conclusion was the non pre opers lost weight faster "in the beginning" simply due to the fact they stopped eating and went straight to liquids after the sleeve surgery. Not that the rate of overall loss is faster.. Just the beginning stages.. Some people that are really big can't even walk to their mailbox, so of course they need a pre op to lose some weight to make surgery safer and easier on them.. to each his own..

so have fun sitting on your butt "RESEARCHING" and telling others what they spent countless hours over the last few months wasn't TRUE RESEARCH .. sorry we all can't be professional researchers.. we do the best with what's at hand.. hold the phone people.. don't post your experience here because professional researcher here thinks your posts are random generalizations!

If my comment was meant to you (like this one is) I would respond using this format. I was not even referring to your statement when I made my comment. Let's face it if this was the "one"surgery that helped everyone...there would not be 3 different options. I was talking about research in the fact that the majority of research in this area is correlation in nature. In other words two variables share a relationship however causation cannot be inferred or determined. True research is a scientific term. It means there is a least one variable with two levels....there is random assignment...but anyway...moving on. For the record hearing things from the horses mouth, reading numerous posts, comparing yourself to others just like you, etc is research just not what is scientifically known as true research. And in the future rather than post condescending remarks, your not-so subtle sarcasm (i.e., LOL, have fun sitting on your butt), etc why not engage in an intellectual conversation instead?

[JulieJ]

I think this boils down to a question of "How much of a priority is this surgery to you?". Only you can answer that question. I had the same dilema and moved my sleeve surgery back by a month so I could enjoy my vacation, (which I called my "farewell to food tour" lol) but still do what is right in my committment to the sleeve and the pre-op surgery. (although I had my challenges with that as well)
Good luck, and you'll figure it out.

[Sleeve dreaming]

If your liver is too big your surgeon will have a lot more trouble performing keyhole surgery as the liver which would be large and heavy hangs over the stomach.

[gemini*eyes]

glad your able to at least recognize TRUE SARCASM..

[niamh]

I feel really disappointed that once again someone who was posting for advice and support has had their thread hijacked into something that's deteriorated into personal attacks. I'm not a moderator, and I'm a relative newbie, but this site is important to me. There are actually some rules for the forum, here's one of them...

3. Personal attacks on others will not be tolerated. We take politeness very seriously. You are welcome to challenge others points of view and opinions, but please do so respectfully and thoughtfully.

If you want to read them all, have a look here;
GastricSleeve.com Rules

Regardless of how disagreements or misunderstandings start on any thread, we all have a responsibility to stay civil for the sake of protecting a culture of support on the forum.

If people are more interested in proving or scoring points, maybe a support forum isn't the right place for them.

[Jacq]

I didn't have a Pre op diet at all. But I was only just scraping into the morbid obese bmi. So it may not have been needed.

[kateorlando]

I have a vacation scheduled returning on December 17. I want to schedule my surgery before the end of the year, so will be limited in time...and to be honest....not sure I can do a liquid diet. What happens if you don't?

I am scheduled to have surgery on 12/6 and it was recommended to do a pre-op diet starting 11/23 (it was not a liquid diet, but does involve a lot of protein shakes), I called the nurse and explained we were going to be on a cruise 11/24-12/1 and there was no way I could follow this. She looked up my BMI and suggested to do the diet 11/10-11/23 to get about 2 weeks into it then go on the cruise and don't go crazy overeating and limit fatty foods. When I get back on 12/1, resume the diet until surgery day. I would suggest voicing your concerns and see if they can work out a plan you can follow, they do want you to succeed

[SweetHoney]

im doing a two day liquid diet now and its hard. but im sticking with it cause when the doc. go in and see that you have food inside they will close you back up.......Just stick with it ....if you want this surgery you will stick with it. Good luck!!!!!