If you have had gall bladder surgery, you are not alone. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, cholecystectomy, or gall bladder removal, is one of the most common surgeries performed in the United States. While many cholecystectomy patients are familiar with dietary restrictions before the surgery, you may have questions about eating specific foods, like sweet potatoes, after surgery.
Gall Bladder
Your gall bladder is a small sac found close the liver. The gall bladder pumps bile into the digestive tract to assist with digestion of the foods you eat. Sometimes bile becomes hard and form stones, which can prevent the gall bladder from functioning properly. These stones can also trigger pain, especially when you eat fatty foods. Patients with gallstones often adopt a low-fat diet until surgery.
Diet After Surgery
After your gall bladder surgery, bile is no longer pumped into the digestive tract at appropriate intervals. Instead, bile moves into the intestines at a faster rate, which can trigger gas and diarrhea if you eat large amounts of certain types of food, especially foods that are high in fat. You may need to limit fatty foods after your cholecystectomy. In addition, some patients have difficulty tolerating high fiber foods immediately after surgery and need to gradually increase their dietary fiber over time.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are high in vitamins A and C and also provide dietary iron and calcium. Sweet potatoes are an ideal food for many people after gall bladder surgery, as they are naturally fat-free. If you notice uncomfortable gastrointestinal side effects with high fiber foods, you can peel the skin off the sweet potato to remove the small amount of fiber they do contain.
Tips
While plain sweet potatoes are okay after gall bladder surgery, be careful to avoid preparations that add fat to the dish. Choose plain, baked, microwaved or boiled sweet potatoes rather than sweet potato fries. Avoid adding butter or other fats to your sweet potatoes.
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