PreOP or not PreOP Diet that is the question

househuntress · 12-25-2006, 02:44 PM

I've read and read this site. Some have a preop diet some do not.
Some have weeks on eating nothing but drinking protein drinks, others do not.
I understand what they are saying about shrinking the liver..but..it takes more than a week to shrink the liver.
So my question is this:
What Doctors have NO preop diet? I'm in DFW area.
What lapbander had No preop diet and did you have problems/do wonderful...any advice?

I have this week (the week between Christmas and NewYears to check out seminars/doctors/etc while I'm off work. I've read now for a year and finally gotten to the point of taking the first step in making an appointment.
I am self-pay and have money in hand.
So...if I FOUND a good Doctor that didn't have a long preop maybe everything would work out quickly.
I know of one girl that was self-pay and had the surgery in 4 days from seeing the doctor.

jme62 · 12-25-2006, 03:25 PM

I am self pay. I called to make an appt. for Jan and they scheduled me for the next week to get the band done. I have my band done on the 26th. I had already cleared it through my family doc, and attended a seminar. I am sipping protein drinks as I type. However, my doc. told me the more you weigh the longer your pre-op will be. I weigh 230 and I have been pre-op for a week. Hope this helps.

shutuplena · 12-25-2006, 04:30 PM

I didn't have pre-op diet at all, doctor just told me to eat wisely. He said exactly what you said, it takes a lot longer than 1 wk to shrink the liver. I had no problems whatsoever and they even took out my gallbladder and repaired a hernia at the same time. As far as having the surgery 4 days after seeing the doctor, usually you have to go through a series of tests with different docs to make sure everything else is ok. I am in NY so I can't help you with a doc but good luck whatever you decide.

marjon9 · 12-25-2006, 04:47 PM

I don't know if I can help you on the really quick surgery date, but as for pre-op diet my doc has me doing Adkins for 10 days before surgery, and that's it. Basically just getting rid of all carbs. That seems a lot less painful than liquids. As I've noted before the Adkins diet allows me to eat fois gras, which seems like an odd plan for shrinking the liver. But hey, whatever works.

Of course, I'll meet my Grim Liquids Reaper after the surgery. So there's no escape.

A couple other things about my doc may be interesting to you. First, he's in the Denver area, which is not too far from you. Second, he has a very low fee, which is good for us self-payers. He charges $9950 for everything. If you'd like to check him out have a look at lapbandrockies.com. His name is Dr. Kirshenbaum. He's a very experienced laparoscopic surgeon who has been doing lap bands for a couple years now. If you search his name on this forum you'll find a few people who have worked with him.

Best o' luck to ya.

Mark

househuntress · 12-25-2006, 07:33 PM

Hi Mark,
Thanks for the reply.
I'll check out the Doctor. That is WAY below anything I've found in the Texas area.
I bet people are standing in line for him if he's good and offers that much of a discount!:)

juliegeraci · 12-26-2006, 12:54 PM

My doctor didn't do a preop diet. Every doctor is different. Good luck.

kaboom 13 · 12-26-2006, 06:36 PM

I think it depends on each individual. I ate like others here. As if it was the last supper! I ate so much, steak, burgers, chili dogs, cake, I mean I ate as if the world was ending the next day. I seem to be fine! so I think it depends on your own intuition and your the only one that knows your body. The gas pain is killing me though! that I can't do anything about.

ousooner · 12-26-2006, 06:41 PM

I used Dr Cribbens here in the DFW area (he is in Plano off the Tollway and Park) I did not have to do the pre-op diet, but had to be on post-op liquids longer than many others I have seen here. If I remember right, I was on like 2 days of clear liquids, 4 weeks of full liquids, and 2 weeks of mushies. I really like him and his office as have countless friends and co-workers who have used him or his partner Dr Hamm. Their website is www.yournewhealth.net

bandiva · 12-28-2006, 10:07 PM

I did preop of one protien shake and one or two lean cuisines each day. I think the benefit of doing some sort of preop (even if it is not drastic) is that it combats the 'last supper' syndrome.

Best of luck to you!

IlliterateJedi · 12-28-2006, 11:45 PM

I just had my surgery with Dr. Benavides in Richardson. He had a 2 week pre-op diet of 2 protein shakes (2 scoops in 8-10 oz of water) and 2 high protein meals. You also have to cut the carbs, sugar, etc. from your diet and basically live on a lot of low fat proteins.

I lost 6 lb's and after the surgery Dr. B mentioned that most of that weight probably came out of my liver because it was very shrunk.

I'd also recommend him for your surgeon if you're looking for a doc. Him and his st aff are phenomenal.

mdicurn · 12-29-2006, 09:24 AM

I went in for my first appointment at GBMC's Comprehensive Weight Loss Center on December 12th and saw the Nutritionist, Nurse Practitioner and the Dr. They did put me on a pre-op diet that is basically a high protien, low fat, low carb diet. However, it is not designed to be a strict diet, but more of a introduction to the way my lifestyle and eating habits will change AFTER the banding. My first goal was very simple - to stop skipping meals, namely breakfast. After I accomplised that I set out to work on my nemesis - Diet Coke! I thought that not being able to have carbonated drinks would kill me, but I have been over a week without a Diet Coke and I still LIVE! :omg: Who knew?!? My current goal is no white flour, sugar carbs, and I am doing ok with that. I have lost 3 pounds even with Christmas -whoever invented sugar cookies should be shot!

I did ask if there was a liquid preop diet and she said that it was only for the day before the surgery! (Thank you GOD!)

A friend of mine had a RNY done 6 months ago at a different facility and when I told her about the diet, she said she wished that they had done the same thing with her as the hardest part was learning how to eat right after the surgery.

My next appointment is Jan 12, and I hope to be banded by March. :D

transformer · 01-01-2007, 09:51 AM

I did not have a pre-op diet. My doctor just said to start eating healthy before surgery and I had to eat very lightly the day before surgery. I couldn't have anything at all to eat after midnight the day before.

I have no idea why all of the doctors give everyone different information. Different schools of thought I guess!

feelingpunchy · 01-01-2007, 11:10 AM

I am also in DFW and have finally decided to look for a doctor and get banded. If you find some information about a great doctor in our area, please let me know!

Sivan · 01-05-2007, 02:48 PM

I get banded on Wednesday. My doctor basically has the idea that not much is going to happen during a short time of pre op dieting, and that that's why we're in this program.

My pre op regimen has been more tests. I had all the doctor required done a month in advance. I went to my provider and they decided less than 2 weeks out, that I had to do 5 more tests. One was to pee in a bottle designed by men, for men, and collect it for 24 hours. The results were to be ready over a week past my op date! Another was the famous cardio stress test where they shoot you up with weird yellow drugs and have you do a treadmill session. Well, I had an appointment for Monday evening, got there and they cancelled it, rescheduled it for Friday morning (only four days to op and still needing to get the results to my provider in time), to get there 7:45 am to have it cancelled AGAIN. Their suggestion? - to have it Tuesday morning. Right. I made them find another place to have it done RIGHT NOW! and they did. The doctor in charge of the test couldn't figure out why they even ordered the test. So I went home and ate ice cream.