Food to eat after a colorectal operation

  • 6 replies
  • 110 subscribers
  • 669 views

Hi, I had a successful colorectal surgery 4 weeks ago and feel extremely grateful. I am in good shape from the op but do still have lot of stomach pain. I know this is quite common. I try to eat often and little, I eat healthy food, drink a lot of water( no coffee) but still I wake up every night with a painful stomach. My bowl moments are ok. If anyone has any suggestions or could share their experience I would really appreciate it. I am going into a liver operation in 4 weeks and hope to be in a good shape for it.

Thanks

E

  • Hi

    I had anterior resection in 2017, after surgery ate loads of pulses, soups, oatcakes and cheese etc .... trial and error.... just trying to find the things that our tummies will tolerate.

    Peter 

  • Thanks, Peter! I assume trial and error is the way to go. Hope you found your path. 

  • Hi  They usually recommend following a low fibre diet for the first couple of weeks then introducing healthier foods gradually. You could try keeping a food diary to see if there’s any sort of pattern to which foods cause more of an issue? 

     Low Residue Diet 

    Take care

    Karen x

    Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm
  • Thanks Karen! Great idea to keep a food diary! Definitely will do that! I will also check out low Residue diet. 
    thanks again and take care

    x

  • Hello

    After my left Hemicolectomy back in May '19, I didn't receive much info. re.diet following my Op....& so I just resumed eating my normal diet, which seemed to suit me well. I'm a lover of old fashioned comfort food....Braised Chicken casserole, with carrots, Leeks & Mash Pots.etc.

    After five years, I still get the occasional bouts of diarrhoea - in particular, I find eggs & coffee are the culprits for me. But, I've comed to terms with it. After having 10" of Bowel removed, I believe that digestion happens lots quicker through the system.....& so, you have to come to terms with a 'new normal' in terms of bowel movements.

    Wishing you a speedy recovery.

    Marianne

  • After my surgery, I found eating soft, gentle foods helped a lot, especially things like soups, mashed veggies, and porridge. I also started mixing milk powder into soups and smoothies—it’s an easy way to get some extra nutrients without making meals too heavy. Eating smaller portions more often worked well for me too. Keeping track of what felt okay and what didn’t made a big difference, so maybe a food diary could help you figure out what works best.