Having a stoma surgeryor ostomycan be a stressful event. In addition to undergoing a major operation, learning how to live with a stoma after the operation can also be a significant source of stress.
One of the main things that people worry about after having an ostomy is their diet and the effects that the stoma will have on their ability to eat and enjoy food and drink!
While you might need to make some changes to your diet, thankfully, you will most likely not have to miss out on your favorite foods altogether! While your doctor or nutritionist should advise you on your diet after surgery, we have gathered some information here to give you some idea of what your post-surgery diet may look like.
How Does a Colostomy Change the Digestive System?
Colectomy surgeries come in different forms, from total colectomy (where the entire colon is removed) to partial colectomy or hemicolectomy (where only one half of the colon is removed). After colectomy surgery, the colon may be reattached to the outside of the body via a stoma. This procedure is known as colostomy and is needed to allow normal digestion and passing of waste.
For a few days after colectomy or colostomy surgery, most patients will be kept in hospital and fed via only IV fluids to allow the body to heal. After this point, liquids like juice and thin broth can be reintroduced, and then other foods that are easy to digest.
As well as diet, it is also important to take care of your colostomy bag. Thankfully, colostomy care from Byram Healthcare and other companies is available to help you with this.
Foods that You Should Limit
After you have healed, you will be able to return to a normal diet! However, if you have a colostomy, avoiding or limiting certain foods is recommended as some foods are prone to causing gases that can over-inflate your colostomy bag.
These foods include dairy products such as milk, cheese, and eggs, raw vegetables, the skins of fruit, foods high in wheat or fiber, corn (including popcorn) brown rice, peas, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, foods high in sugar like cakes or cookies, fried food, and fatty meats like fried chicken.
Foods that Can Help
Thankfully, there are a lot of foods that you can eat that help after a colostomy. Foods that are useful in thickening stools and reducing odors include bananas, yogurt, apple sauce, cranberry juice, white rice, buttermilk, white toast, and tapioca.
The most important thing to remember when eating after a colostomy is to make sure to thoroughly chew any food that you eat. Chewing your food will break it down and make it much easier to digest and for your colon to process. Although this sounds obvious, and we all know how to chew, if you have a stoma, it is especially important to chew even more thoroughly than you did before the operation!
If in doubt about anything associated to your diet after a stoma, it is best to consult your doctor, nutritionist, or other healthcare professional.
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