Health

  Post-Surgery Diet: A Guide Of What Stoma Patients Should Eat After Surgery

Paul Petersen

Surgery is one of the aspects of life that will change how people view the importance of health. It is one of the unforeseen circumstances that may prolong a person’s lifespan or not. Surgery happens when one of your body parts is damaged or no longer responding to your other organs. If you are a patient who has undergone surgery, everything may start to feel challenging at first, but know that all else will align and heal in time. Just don’t forget to give your wound some care and love!

One of the most common surgeries in Singapore is stoma surgery. A stoma is a cut or an opening on the abdomen. This opening will be connected to the urinary system to help discharge urine and faecal matter outside the body. To know more about stoma surgery, read further.

THE 3 TYPES OF OSTOMY SURGERY

COLOSTOMY

Out of the three types of ostomy surgery, colostomy is the most common surgery. colostomy surgery creates an opening on your abdomen surface down to the large bowel of your urine system. It creates a path that allows your faecal matter and urine to leave smoothly. After the surgery, the ostomy surgeon will connect the stoma bag that collects your discharge. Stoma bag cleaning and proper careare necessary to maintain the condition of your opening and to prevent it from getting infected. Stoma bags for colostomy surgery are typically connected on the left side of the body, near the left hand. It can also be on the right-hand side of the body in some circumstances.

There is a wide variety of health conditions why ostomy surgeons perform colostomy surgery. Aside from digestive and urine problems, it may also be because of Crohn’s Disease, Diverticular Disease, faecal dissoluteness, cancer issues, trauma conditions, radiation damage, or genetic abnormalities.

After your colostomy surgery, the area around your stoma may look pinkish-red, moist, and too soft to touch. Your ostomy surgeon would prescribe you the necessary medications and provide you with a list of required stoma supplies.

ILEOSTOMY

While colostomy is from the large bowel, ileostomy is the opposite. ileostomy surgery creates a path from your body’s small bowel up to the top surface of your abdomen. The route, just like in colostomy, lets your waste material leave your body effortlessly. Generally, ileostomy lies on the right-hand side of your body. Ileostomy requires more intensive care and cleaning. You must only utilise and apply the prescribed and appropriate wound care products to clean the area surrounding your stoma.

Like colostomy, ileostomy can not only come from failure issues in your digestion and urine as it can also be by these conditions and diseases:

  • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Diverticular Disease
  • Dissoluteness of faecal matter
  • Cancer cells
  • Hereditary Adenomatous Polyposis
  • Hereditary abnormalities

If your stoma swells after your ileostomy surgery, there is no need to worry. It’s normal in the first two weeks post-surgery, but it will reduce and lessen eventually. Two weeks after the operation, your ostomy surgeon or the care nurse will cut off all small stitches around the edge of your stoma cut. Proper maintenance and use of stoma suppliesare crucial after the stitches removal.

UROSTOMY

Urostomy is the type of ostomy surgery that detaches the ureters from the gallbladders and then connects them to the small bowel. This surgery allows patients to have a smooth flow of urine. The opening is medically called a urinary stoma. Your ostomy surgeon will perform the surgery and create the urinary stoma on the right side of your body, nearing the abdomen.

Aside from having difficulties with urine, a urostomy surgery can also happen because of kidney malfunctions, bladder failure, uncured Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), cancer, and hereditary abnormalities.

Similar to the two stoma cuts mentioned above, your stoma after urostomy surgery may swell in the first week. Then, the ostomy surgeon or nurse will cut off the small stitches surrounding the cut after two weeks. It is necessary to use stoma bag care products to prevent the opening from infection.

Foods-That-Are-And-NOT-Allowed-Post-Stoma-Surgery

 

WHAT TO EAT AFTER YOUR OSTOMY SURGERY?

The pre-and post-surgery and healing stages have been tackled already. Aside from using stoma bag care products, you must also follow the post-ostomy surgery diet. Here is a list of foods you can and CAN NOT eat after your ostomy surgery

While recovering, here are the foods you can eat:

  • Skim, soy, or almond milk
  • Lactose-free dairy products,
  • Low-skimmed yoghurt,
  • Cheese (Powdered cheese is not allowed),
  • Lean animal proteins, such as ham, beef sirloin, pork tenderloin, chicken breast,
  • A small amount of creamy peanut butter,
  • Eggs,
  • Low-fibre carbohydrates, such as tofu, plain pasta or noodles, white rice, white slices of bread,
  • Lettuce, spinach, carrots,
  • Thick-skinned fresh fruits, such as watermelon, avocado, or honeydew melon,
  • No pulp fruit juice,
  • Sports drinks; and
  • Water

A few weeks after the surgery, the patient must strictly follow the diet advised by the ostomy doctor. They may eat bland foods low in fibre and less acidic like those mentioned above. You may acquire a speedy recovery through the help of these foods and your stoma supplies.

The foods you must avoid are:

  • High-fibre at fatty foods, such as fried meat, poultry, fish,
  • Raw vegetables,
  • Spicy foods,
  • Dried or canned beans, peas, and lentils,
  • Whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa, cereal,
  • Full-fat dairy products, such as heavy cream, whole milk, whole yoghurt, butter,
  • Regular ice cream or sherbet,
  • Fruits with skin, such as apples, strawberries, grapes,
  • Pineapple as it is high in fibre,
  • Carbonated drinks or soda; and
  • Drinks with alcohol content

Takeaway

Ostomy surgery requires maintenance, care and proper diet just like any other surgery. Your stoma bag requires utmost care. Remember! Your stoma is open, and it can instantly and easily catch any virus which may cause infection. Make it a habit to apply the prescribed wound care products, practice proper maintenance for your stoma bag, and strictly follow the advised diet to have a quick recovery.

For all your stoma bag care and wound care needs, you may visit the website of Coloplast Singapore and check for their collection of supplies.