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Liver shrinking diet?

Posted , 6 users are following.

sarah26197
sarah26197

Hi all, I'm new to this group.

I was diagnosed with gallstones in May and due to have my gallbladder removed on Monday. I've been told to do the liver shrinking diet for 2 weeks prior to the operation. I'm currently on the diet and decided to do some research on it but can't find much at all on it as a pre op diet for gallbladder surgery. Has anyone else had to do it or been told they will have to before surgery? Thank you

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • carol_85816
    carol_85816 sarah26197

    Posted

    Hi I was never told or advised about this diet never heard of it sorry 😷

  • lynda20916
    lynda20916 sarah26197

    Posted

    Did your doctor tell you to do this?  I had my gallbladder removed and my doctor didn't mention this.  In all my interactions with others who have had gallbladder problems, they've never mentioned that their Doc told them to do this either.

  • Lynne1965
    Lynne1965 sarah26197

    Posted

    I haven't heard of that! I had my gallbladder removed on 14th July and didn't have to do any special diet before!

  • Beenthruit
    Beenthruit sarah26197

    Posted

    I've not heard of it either. Did they explain why? I had open surgery in February and a liver resection in March. Apart from eating a low fat diet to try and control gallstone symptoms I was never told to alter my diet. In fact post op I was told to eat as normally as possible.

  • lisa73167
    lisa73167 sarah26197

    Posted

    Hi Sarah

    Whilst I didn't have to do the liver shrinking diet I know a lady having her gallbladder removed the same day as me had been prescribed this by the consultant, I remember her saying she had replaced food with milkshakes. This has been apparently due to a high BMI.

    I know she had found it challenging but had lost a lot of weight on 2 weeks.

    Wishing you all the best with your operation

    Kind regards

    Lisa

  • sarah26197
    sarah26197

    Posted

    I know its for shrinking the liver making the operation easier. And it's for those with a higher BMI as our livers are likely to be fatty making moving it out the way more difficult. It's used before bariatric surgery as well.

    I was really interested in how commonplace it is for gall bladder surgery but seems quite rare going from this board.

    Thanks for all your comments

    • lynda20916
      lynda20916 sarah26197

      Posted

      A fatty liver usually takes longer than 2 weeks to reduce.  After all, the fat is stored in the liver.  The liver is no longer able to metabolize fat.  Perhaps, the diet is given in order to reduc BMI, with a side effect of shrinking the liver?  That's all I can think of..

    • sarah26197
      sarah26197 lynda20916

      Posted

      It's definitely aimed at shrinking the liver the information I've been given explains how it works, and that they ask patients (at my hospital anyway) with a high bmi to do it as it makes it easier to access the gallbladder.

      I've found an American study recommending or for gall bladder surgery but that's all.

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