More than half a million Americans have heart surgery each year, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Types of heart surgeries include coronary artery bypass surgery, heart valve replacement and aneurysm repairs. No matter the type or reason, heart surgery is a major operation with risks and complications. Some surgeons request their obese patients lose weight before surgery. If you're a heart patient, only do a rapid weight-loss diet under the direct supervision of your doctor.
Surgery and Obesity
While your surgeon may recommend weight loss before your heart surgery, there is little evidence to support that it will improve your overall outcome. Carrying a little extra weight before your surgery may help you. A 2010 concurrent cohort study published in the "Annals of Thoracic Surgery" sought to determine the effect of body mass index, a ratio of weight to height, on outcomes following cardiac surgery. The study found that overweight patients had better recovery in the hospital and fewer deaths than patients with a normal BMI, and that obese patients had a similar outcome as patients with a normal BMI.
Calories for Weight Loss
To lose 1 lb. of weight a week, you need to decrease your daily calorie intake by 500 calories a day. So if you consume 2,000 calories a day, reducing your daily calorie intake to 1,500 calories should produce a 1 lb. weekly weight loss. If your doctor wants you to lose more weight per week, you will need to significantly reduce your daily calorie intake. Most rapid weight-loss diets require you to consume less than 1,000 calories a day.
Very Low-Calorie Diet
It can be difficult for you to meet your nutritional needs when you reduce your daily calorie intake to less than 1,000 calories a day. Eating a variety of foods from each of the food groups will help you meet some of your needs, but you will also need to supplement your diet with a multivitamin. A balanced 1,000-calorie weight-loss diet includes 1 cup of fruits, 1 cup of vegetables, 3 oz. of grains, 2 oz. of meat or beans, 2 cups of milk and 3 tsp. of oil.
Liquid Diet
A very low-calorie liquid diet can also help you lose weight quickly before your surgery. These diets usually include a commercially prepared formula that meets your vitamin, mineral and protein needs, while limiting your calorie intake to about 800 calories a day. Most people who follow a low-calorie liquid diet lose 3 to 5 lbs. a week. Only follow a very low-calorie liquid diet under the direction of your doctor. Your doctor will probably only recommend this if you have a BMI greater than 30.
References
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: What is Heart Surgery?
- MedlinePlus: Heart Surgery
- Weight-Control Information Network; Very Low-Calorie Diets; August 2008
- FamilyDoctor.org; What it Takes to Lose Weight; June 2004
- "The Annals of Thoracic Surgery"; Effect of Body Mass Index on Outcomes After Cardiac Surgery: Is There an Obesity Paradox?; Sotiris Stamou, et al.; 2011
- ChooseMyPlate.gov: Food Intake Patterns
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