Dietary guidelines for the initial period after ostomy surgery

When the stoma begins to defecate and defecate after surgery, and the doctor confirms that intestinal function has been restored, the patient's diet can gradually return to normal. This recovery process requires eating step by step, and based on the principles of easy digestion and balanced nutrition. Dietary nutrition in the early stages of an ostomy is a process that requires careful management and adjustment. Only by choosing an appropriate diet based on individual circumstances and doctor's recommendations can you ensure smooth postoperative recovery and improve your quality of life.

Early postoperative period:

Initially, a liquid diet can be chosen. This kind of food is similar to liquid, such as rice noodles, juice, lotus root starch, or egg water. It is not only easy to swallow and digest but also has little irritation to the intestines. It is recommended to divide 6 to 7 meals a day, each meal is about 200 to 300 ml, and there is an interval of 2 to 3 hours between meals.

After that, you can gradually transition to a semi-liquid diet. Food at this stage includes various porridges, noodles, custards, yogurt, pureed vegetables, tofu, etc., which are nutritious, and easy to chew and swallow. It is recommended to eat 5 to 6 meals a day.

As the body further recovers, a soft diet is a good choice. This diet requires foods that are shredded, rotten, and soft, and avoids fried, greasy, and overly coarse fiber, as well as spicy seasonings. Eat 3 to 4 meals a day, such as soft rice, noodles, and cooked and chopped vegetables and meat.

Once your body has fully adapted, you can return to your regular diet. This is similar to the diet of ordinary people, which requires balanced nutrition, easy digestion of food, and avoidance of coarse, hard, cold, hot, and greasy food. Three meals a day, proportionally distributed between meals. However, there are some special matters that need to be paid attention to in postoperative nutrition. The first is to maintain a balanced and diverse diet to ensure adequate intake of energy and high-quality protein. At the same time, avoid eating foods that are too rough and hard, and maintain a moderate amount of exercise.

Diet differs between ileostomy and colostomy. The discharge from a colostomy located in the left lower abdomen is usually relatively shaped and prone to constipation. In order to prevent constipation, it is recommended to eat more high-fiber foods, green vegetables, and fruits, eat moderate amounts of crude-fiber foods, and drink more water or honey water. When going out or traveling, you should reduce your intake of crude fiber foods to avoid excessive excretion. If the stoma is narrow, the intake of crude fiber foods should also be reduced to prevent clogging of the stoma.

If diarrhea occurs, you must first find out the cause of diarrhea, such as irritating food, too greasy food, or contaminated food. At the same time, you can eat more soluble fiber foods, such as bananas, butter, peanut butter, and oatmeal rolls, to help form stools. When diarrhea symptoms are severe and the excrement is as thin as water, this is usually an emergency signal from the body and requires timely medical treatment. Especially when you have an ileostomy located in the right lower abdomen, you need to pay more attention to your diet and living habits. The excrement of patients with ileostomy is often shapeless and has high water content. Therefore, there are several points that need special attention in daily life:

1. Maintain adequate fluid intake. To prevent dehydration, you should drink at least 8 to 12 glasses (about 2000 to 3000 ml) of fluids every day, including water, juice, soup, etc.

2. When eating, you should chew your food carefully and avoid eating too much popcorn, pineapple, mushrooms, fungus, bean sprouts, celery, and other foods rich in crude fiber, because they may aggravate the discomfort of ileostomy.

3. Foods that can be eaten in moderation include low-fat tender meat or soy products, cooked low-fiber vegetables, low-fiber fruits (peeled and seeded), and filtered juice. At the same time, fatty or fried foods should be avoided.

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Editor: kiki Jia

Date: February 25, 2023