If you have a history of gallstones, and feel have abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting after eating, your doctor may recommend you have your gallbladder removed to improve your symptoms. Like any surgery, it is important that you follow your doctor's instruction before the operation, including preop diet recommendations.
Gallbladder Surgery
Your gallbladder is a small organ that sits below your liver. Its primary function is to store bile, a substance that helps you digest fat. Some people develop gallstones, which are small hard masses made up of cholesterol and bile. Gallstones can block the flow of bile out of the gallbladder, which can lead to swelling of the organ, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and poor digestion. You can manage your gallstones with medication and changes to your diet, but sometimes gallbladder removal is necessary. This can be done with a laproscopic or open surgical procedure. In most cases, the preop diet guidelines for either procedure are the same. However, you should closely follow your surgeons instructions.
Clear Liquid Diet
Starting one to three days before your gallbladder surgery, you need to follow a clear liquid diet to help clean your colon and limit residue in your digestive tract. A clear liquid diet consists of foods that are liquids at room temperature and easy to digest. Food choices include broth, apple juice, gelatin, black coffee, plain tea, fruit pops, fruit ice, clear soda and water. The clear liquid diet is nutritionally incomplete and should only be followed for a few days, under the direct supervision of your doctor.
NPO
On the night before your gallbladder surgery, your doctor will request you to stop eating and drinking after midnight. This preop diet is called NPO, which is Latin for "nil per os," or nothing by mouth. You may be able to sip small amounts of water on the morning of your surgery, but only if your doctor says it is okay.
Considerations
The primary reason you need to follow a preop diet before your gallbladder surgery is to prevent vomiting and aspiration, which means the contents of your stomach go into your lungs. The anesthesia the doctors use to put you to sleep can also cause nausea and vomiting, increasing your risk of aspiration. Aspirating large amounts of food into your lungs causes difficulty breathing and complications during your surgery.
