The biliopancreatic diversion/duodenal switch (BPD/DS) is a weight loss surgery procedure typically performed on severely obese people or those who are significantly overweight and experience potentially life-threatening health problems such as sleep apnea, diabetes, and high blood pressure. In the BPD/DS, the patient's stomach is reduced in size and the intestines are rerouted. This allows the person to lose weight by being able to eat less food and also not absorbing all the nutrients from food eaten. The procedure does have a number of dietary guidelines, especially in the weeks immediately following surgery.
Post-Op Hospital Diet
The first two to four meals after BPD/DS surgery are administered in a hospital setting and should be clear liquids such as water, broth, and Gatorade, according to The Cornell Weight Loss Surgery Program. Once the patient has been able to keep liquids down, he or she can be switched to the pureed post-op diet until they are discharged from the hospital. The pureed BPD/DS diet includes foods low in both fat and sugar, such as cottage cheese and unsweetened applesauce.
Post-Op Home Diet
Once the BPD/DS patient goes home, he is instructed to follow a specific bariatric diet for three to four weeks. Food choices include bananas, unsweetened applesauce, meatloaf, eggs, moist fish, low fat cottage cheese, sugar-free puddings, oatmeal, crackers, and soft, cooked vegetables with the exception of corn.
Regular Post-Op Diet
As long as the patient is tolerating most foods well, he or she will be cleared by a nurse or doctor to switch to a more traditional BPD/DS diet after about four weeks. New foods should be added slowly to ensure the newly revised digestive system can tolerate the items.
A BPD/DS diet must focus on a lot of quality protein to keep the body running efficiently, and also incorporate some vegetables, fruit, and whole-grains. Patients should eat at least 60 to 80 mg of protein each day. Dairy products are encouraged, but some post-op BPD/DS patients cannot tolerate them. In these instances, using Lactaid is recommended by The Cornell Weight Loss Surgery Program.
BPD/DS patients are urged to avoid concentrated sweets such as desserts and sodas, as these slow weight loss and may not be well-tolerated by the body's changed digestion process. They also are advised to avoid high-fat foods, as they can lead to gastrointestinal discomforts such as gas and bloating.
The average BPD/DS resized stomach can only hold six to eight ounces of food, so eating a few tablespoons of food at a time is recommended. Frequent snacking is not advised, and patients should eat three meals and one snack per day to achieve maximum weight loss and health benefits.
