Eating Healthy After Hernia Surgery

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Eating Healthy After Hernia Surgery

• By DR. VALERIA SIMONE MD
• (SOUTHLAKE GENERAL SURGERY, TEXAS)

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oVERVIEW

• Eating healthy after hernia surgery is necessary
  for quick recovery and healing. Your diet plays
  an important role in the recovery process after
  surgery. Depending on where your hernia is, your
  diet plan may vary. Therefore, it is important to
  adhere to the dietary guidelines explained by
  your hernia surgeon to avoid any complications.

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How to identify a Hernia?

• A hernia develops when tissue pushes through a
  weak spot in the muscle in the abdomen. There are
  several types of hernias that develop from the
  chest to the hips, as well as in the upper thigh
  and groin area. According to Dr. Valeria Simone
  MD, a board-certified general surgeon at
  Southlake General Surgery, Texas, the following
  hernias are the most common among individuals
• Umbilical hernia
• Inguinal hernia
• Hiatal hernia
• Femoral hernia
• Sometimes, you might not be able to notice the
  hernia until you cough or there is physical
  activity such as lifting heavy objects. These
  small hernias generally dont have symptoms or
  any pain. If these types of hernias are not
  treated over time, they get bigger.
• In a few cases, hernias become strangulated or
  get stuck in the abdominal muscle, impacting the
  blood circulation or obstructing blood
  circulation in other areas. If you notice
  strangulated hernia symptoms such as nausea or
  vomiting, fever, intense pain, and a change in
  bowel function, or skin color. You should
  immediately seek medical attention. Hence, it is
  a serious medical condition and requires surgery.

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Dietary Guidelines After Hernia Surgery

• After hernia surgery, it is always recommended to
  stay on a liquid diet instead of heavy meals.
  Your doctor will also brief you about the diet
  plan, recovery process, and how you can take a
  shower. After surgery, you may have some
  anesthesia effects that make you feel nauseous or
  experience vomiting. It is always recommended to
  follow your diet after hernia surgery. It
  includes
• Fresh juice
• Broth soups
• Nutritional Drinks (except chocolate)
• Yogurt
• In case, you have an incision close to your belly
  button or in the lower abdomen, you can take
  small meals other than liquids on the second day
  after surgery, as advised by your doctor. The
  diet plan recommended by your doctor will help
  you heal faster.

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Dietary Guidelines After Hernia Surgery

• After hernia surgery, it is always recommended to
  stay on a liquid diet instead of heavy meals.
  Your doctor will also brief you about the diet
  plan, recovery process, and how you can take a
  shower. After surgery, you may have some
  anesthesia effects that make you feel nauseous or
  experience vomiting. It is always recommended to
  follow your diet after hernia surgery. It
  includes
• Fresh juice
• Broth soups
• Nutritional Drinks (except chocolate)
• Yogurt
• In case, you have an incision close to your belly
  button or in the lower abdomen, you can take
  small meals other than liquids on the second day
  after surgery, as advised by your doctor. The
  diet plan recommended by your doctor will help
  you heal faster.

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• After hernia surgery, you may experience
  constipation, even if you are not prone to it.
  Pain medicines, anesthesia, changes in diet, and
  less physical activity are a few responsible
  factors that can cause constipation. It is
  important to add fiber-rich foods and plenty of
  fluids to your diet after hernia surgery. The
  following are foods you can add to your diet
• Vegetables in the diet such as broccoli, carrots,
  and sweet potatoes
• Beans and pulses such as green peas, lentils
  split peas
• Nuts, Grains, and seeds like almonds, oats,
  sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and walnuts
• Fresh Fruits such as apples, oranges, mangoes,
  watermelon, and berries

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Nissen Fundoplication and Diet Plan

• Not only eating a healthy meal but also choosing
  a healthy food source for a diet after hernia
  surgery is always difficult. A few interventions
  develop swelling of the esophagus.
• Nissen fundoplication is a procedure used to
  treat a hiatal hernia. This sort of hernia
  develops when a part of a tissue or muscle of the
  stomach pushes through the diaphragm and into the
  chest area.
• After surgery, the recommended diet is a complete
  fluid diet. This diet includes all types of food
  that can be given in liquid form such as
• Cow milk, Soy milk, almond milk, Yogurt, and
  vanilla Ice cream
• Cream of wheat
• Nutritional drinks (except chocolate)
• Creamed vegetables (strained)
• Vanilla pudding

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Nissen Soft Diet After Hernia Surgery

• Your diet will be switched to the Nissen soft
  diet after a couple of days of your hernia
  surgery. This soft diet will have complete
  details about what foods you can eat and what you
  should avoid.
• You will receive diet instructions about foods
  that are soft and easy to swallow, which will
  forestall any risk of complications such as
  choking because of the swollen esophagus. After
  hernia surgery, this soft diet is generally
  recommended for at least six weeks.
• You can take beverages that are not carbonated or
  free from alcohol or chocolate, along with the
  Nissen soft diet. You should avoid bread with a
  hard crust, crackers that have seeds, greasy
  foods, and highly seasoned meals. Avoid grains
  and cereals that have dried fruits and nuts.
• You can take soft bread products such as
  pancakes, waffles, etc. You can take cereals such
  as oatmeal, cornflakes, or grits or you can
  choose that can easily mix and soften with milk.
• You can also add eggs to your diet they are a
  good source of protein. You can take boiled,
  poached, or scrambled eggs and avoid fried items.
  Rice, potatoes, and pasta must be cooked enough
  to get soft.

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• Fresh fruits and fruit juice are other good
  options here to heal faster but you cant have
  all types of fruits, such as pineapples, dried
  fruits, or fruits that have seeds.
• Peanut butter and cottage cheese are also good
  sources of protein that you can add to your soft
  diet. Cheeses that have peppers or crunchy peanut
  butter should be avoided.
• You can also choose to have ground, chopped, or
  minced meat that has no or less gristle. You can
  include moist, super tender, cooked poultry
  products but meat that contains high fat should
  be avoided. All vegetables included in the diet
  plan should be cooked enough to get soft and
  avoid food that can cause gas
• Cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli
• Brussels sprouts, corn, and green peppers
• Sauerkraut, Rutabagas
• Lets explore more Eating Healthy After Hernia
  Surgery - Southlake General Surgery

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Appointment

• For more information on dietary questions
  on Eating Healthy After Hernia Surgery and
  consultation, you can contact our healthcare
  expert today at 1(817) 748-0200. You can
  also make an online appointment for a
  consultation with us.
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• Source Eating Healthy After Hernia Surgery -
  Southlake General Surgery

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Thank you!
SOUTHLAKE GENERAL SURGERY
1545 E. Southlake Blvd, Suite 270 Southlake, TX
76092
EMAIL info_at_southlakegeneralsurgery.com
VISIT US AT www.southlakegeneralsurgery.com