As someone who's about to have open-heart surgery, you're probably concerned about how the procedure will affect your life afterward. You're likely in for some changes, especially if your diet hasn't been optimal. Eating a healthy diet can help speed your recovery and reduce your risk of future heart problems. In addition, adding certain foods and nutrients to your diet -- such as fiber -- can help you cope with common post-operative complications of open-heart surgery.
Hospital Diet
Immediately after the surgery, you'll begin eating again by consuming liquids. This clear liquid diet should help you prevent nausea from the after-effects of your anesthesia, and will help your digestive system begin working properly again. Once your physician clears you to consume solid foods, which may take a day or two, the hospital most likely will provide low-fat, low-salt meals. If you're diabetic, you'll also need to cut back on sugar. The food may taste bland to you at first.
Healthy Diet Principles
Once you've left the hospital, you should eat a variety of healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats and whole grains, to provide your body with the nutrients it needs to speed healing. If you don't feel up to eating large meals, consume smaller snacks throughout the day.This can help with nausea, which is a common side effect of certain pain medications. Cut back on sugar, sweets and heavily processed foods, such as snack chips. Instead, snack on an orange or a few whole grain crackers topped with lean chicken.
Fiber and Constipation
Your pain pills may cause constipation, which can be aggravated by your lack of activity during recovery and drinking too few fluids. To help alleviate this problem, consume plenty of fiber each day as part of your diet following open-heart surgery. Fruits, vegetables and whole grain products all represent excellent sources of fiber, and fit well into your healthy diet goals following surgery. Consume six to eight full glasses of water each day, and follow your physician's recommendations to take a stool softener, if necessary.
Special Considerations
Depending on your particular medical condition, your physician may place you on a low-salt or a low-cholesterol diet. Low-salt diets can help you to manage heart failure and lower your blood pressure by reducing fluid retention. To reduce salt in your diet, steer clear of high-sodium processed foods, such as canned soups, certain crackers and bacon, and learn to read food labels and count sodium grams. Low-cholesterol diets may help you reduce your risk of coronary artery disease by lowering cholesterol-based plaque buildup in your arteries. To reduce cholesterol in your diet, limit meats and whole-fat dairy products, such as cream and cheese.
