7 Foods To Eat After Surgery And 7 To Avoid

Having surgery is a significant moment in any person's life. And while the scale of surgery can vary enormously, no matter how little or large your surgical procedure is, it's vital that you consider your aftercare carefully. What you eat following surgery is a massive part of this — although doctors typically provide you with a lot of information on how to eat post-operation, it's easy to slip back into your old dietary habits pretty fast.

But your food choices after surgery can have a big impact on your recovery, not only in the crucial first few days when you may have to follow specific dietary guidelines but also beyond that, as Dr. Jeffery Campsen states in an interview with University of Utah Health. And there are a wealth of foods that can be beneficial to include in your diet when you're on the road to full health, as well as many foods that should be avoided until you're feeling yourself again. Let's take a look at some of the foods to eat and avoid after your procedure. 

When it comes to constipation, there are foods that help and food that hinder. In a post-surgery setting, it's "quite common, even expected, for patients to be constipated immediately after surgery," says Dr. Jemiel Nejim, anesthesiologist at Hospital for Special Surgery. So, avoiding foods that can cause your intestines to have a little more trouble passing stool through it is vital (via Single Care).

This is why, after surgery, processed grains may be better left out of your meals. Processed grains can be stripped of fiber during their preparation process, leaving them much lower in fiber than their whole-grain siblings, as Healthline states. This is bad news for people who experience constipation, as fiber is a key element in helping your fecal matter pass easily and regularly. 

Opting for whole-grain alternatives to the processed grains you might normally eat can help. It's also important to keep in mind that the type of surgery you have may affect the length and severity of constipation you experience, which is something to consider when you're planning your post-operation meals. As Nejim says, "Surgeries that last longer in duration tend to be associated with a higher predisposition to constipation." The type of anesthesia used can also be a factor. Make sure you check with your doctor about the likelihood of constipation after surgery, and how your diet should be adjusted accordingly.

So, you've come out of surgery, and you're feeling surprisingly good. Surely a drink can't hurt, right? Well, we're here to tell you that there are some very good reasons why your doctor would rather you didn't drink alcohol following surgery until you're fully recovered. To start, alcohol, as a diuretic, can have a "dehydrating effect on the body," as Medical News Today states. This can cause problems in your maintenance of proper hydration post-surgery, which is essential for the recovery process (per Desert West Surgery).

Aside from dehydrating you, drinking alcohol after surgery could be hugely dangerous if you've been prescribed pain medication. "Medications from the opioid drug class, such as Percocet, oxycodone or tramadol, are a cornerstone foundation in managing postoperative pain," says Inara Nejim, Hospital for Special Surgery's clinical pharmacist (via Single Care). Mixing alcohol with opioids can increase the likelihood of negative side effects, and even put you at risk of falling into a coma, says American Addiction Centers. It's best to stay off the booze until your doctor gives you the all-clear.

While protein is an excellent choice to include in your diet after surgery, not all protein is created equally. And when it comes to red meat, it might be best to leave it off the menu while you're recovering. Red meat tends to have higher saturated fat levels than other protein sources, as the American Heart Association discusses. And aside from the other issues that a diet high in saturated fat can contribute to, this saturated fat can also be problematic in a post-op setting. This is because the saturated fat in red meat can contribute to constipation, a common side effect of surgery, according to Verywell Health. Leaving it off the menu and prioritizing lean protein sources and high-fiber options can help to ease constipation.

There are also very good reasons why red meat should be avoided — not just after surgery — but around the procedure too. Having higher cholesterol levels, which can be common in diets with high saturated fat intake, may also cause your surgery outcome to be worse and increase the likelihood of further procedures, according to research discussed in Rheumatology Network. All the more reason to keep it lean.

After surgery, you might be tempted to treat yourself with a few sugary treats. Hey, we do not blame you on that one. But trying to avoid too much sugar during recovery from surgery is a wise choice — even more so for specific surgical procedures around certain body parts. For patients who undergo abdominal surgery, for example, it's useful to avoid foods that are too high in sugar, as Rogel Cancer Center states. For orthopedic surgeries, too, it's advisable to keep your post-procedure diet lower in sugar, as the depletion of nutrients that it can cause from your body can also cause your bones to take longer healing (per Proliance Orthopedic Associates).

If you're diabetic, avoiding excessive sugar after surgery is particularly important to keep your blood sugar in check, says Hamilton Health Care System. Keeping your blood sugar low, between 80-130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), is vital to keep your healing steady and to manage the risk of infection after a surgical procedure. It's important to check your blood sugar several times a day for at least a month after surgery and to notify your doctor if your blood sugar becomes too high.

If you're a cheese fiend (which we definitely are), you might find this one difficult to swallow. But when it comes to regular dairy products, it might be best to keep them out of your diet post-surgery. That's not to say that dairy doesn't have a lot going for it as a food, particularly when it comes to recovery: As regular dairy products are generally high in protein, they can offer some advantages during the healing process by way of providing the body with building blocks for recovery, according to Verywell Health.

However, as Verywell Health also states, eating standard dairy products can cause stomach upset for some folks post-surgery. Certain dairy products, like cheese, may also contribute to constipation after a surgical procedure. Additionally, dairy may contribute to lung secretions in certain individuals, which may be problematic if you have a chronic cough during recovery. Substituting your regular dairy products with low-fat alternatives may help to mitigate some of these risks, or alternatively, you could leave dairy off the menu altogether until you're back in full health.

It's generally recommended to avoid excess salt in most situations. Having too much salt can not only cause your bones to weaken over time, but can also increase your risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease, and increase blood pressure, as the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health explains.

And when you're in rehab from surgery, avoiding excess salt becomes even more important. Too much salt can lead to increased swelling after surgery, because excess sodium can cause fluid retention, according to The Aesthetic Surgery Centre. As well as causing you to hold on to fluids, sodium can also, strangely, do the opposite thing, with a diuretic effect that can cause you to become dehydrated, at a time when you really need as many fluids as possible to help your recovery. As The Aesthetic Surgery Centre indicates, this doesn't mean you should cut out salt entirely. But avoid adding too much salt to your food — and try not to go for convenient food items off the shelf, which are generally loaded with sodium, like prepackaged meals, canned soups, and some types of snacks.

You may love spicy food 99% of the time, but in the period when you're recovering from surgery, and particularly specific types of surgery, it's likely to be a different story. While spicy food can taste delicious, the powerful flavorings that cause their heat also act as an irritant, according to Flowers Bariatric Center. For people who've undergone bariatric surgery (or any surgery that involves the stomach or intestines), this irritation may prove difficult for your body to deal with and could cause serious discomfort.

But, while you may think this means you're faced with the prospect of tasteless food until you're completely healed, you don't have to omit all spice — just be wary of going overboard, and only add a tiny bit at a time, keeping it out of your food entirely if you're worried about the effects. Adding dairy products like yogurt to spicy foods can also help take the sting out, and keep your stomach as settled as possible during the crucial recovery period.