Recovering from gallbladder surgery requires making some changes to your usual diet. Following a low-fat diet can help you avoid diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms that can occur following gallbladder surgery. Because the recovery process varies from person to person, you may need to experiment with foods to determine which ones you can tolerate.
Identification
The gallbladder, an organ located under the liver, helps your body break down fats in the foods you eat. The liver produces a digestive fluid called bile. When you eat foods containing fat, bile flows from the liver into the gallbladder. As bile enters the gallbladder, the walls of the gallbladder remove excess water, concentrating it for more efficient removal of fat. After removal of the gallbladder, the liver still continues to produce bile needed for digestion, but fat digestion may be less efficient because the bile is not concentrated, according to Penn Medicine.
Post-Surgery Diet
Immediately after surgery, you can expect to be put on a liquid diet. Your doctor may suggest that you gradually add solid foods to your diet by eating soft, bland foods that are easy to digest. Toast, soup, broth, plain pasta, rice and bananas can help you ensure that you maintain adequate nutrition after surgery. After you can successfully tolerate liquids and soft foods, you can resume a normal diet.
Low-Fat Food Choices
Because it is harder for your body to digest fats after surgery, your doctor may recommend that you eat low-fat foods during your recovery period. You can reduce fat in foods by cutting off excess fat from meat and poultry before cooking and baking, or roasting meat instead of frying. Look for lean cuts of meat, poultry and fish for even less fat. Eating whole grain cereals and breads and plenty of fruits and vegetables will help you maintain a low-fat diet. Fat is also found in such foods and beverages as whole milk, ice cream and sour cream. Choosing low-fat versions of these foods will allow you to stick to your diet without avoiding foods you enjoy. As you start to feel better, you may be able to add higher-fat foods to your diet.
Considerations
Although you can resume a normal diet after gallbladder removal, some people continue to suffer from diarrhea after the recovery period. Diarrhea may occur because bile acids entering the large intestine may act as a laxative, according to Michael Picco, M.D., Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist. Avoiding sweet or greasy foods, dairy products and caffeine may reduce symptoms. Your doctor may recommend that you take an anti-diarrheal medication or a medication that reduces bile acid absorption if you suffer from diarrhea.
