Exact Answer: After 1 Month
VSG or Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Is a surgery that is useful mainly for weight loss. This surgery is done by removing a portion of the stomach so that the stomach reduces in size. Thus by reducing the size of the stomach the amount of food consumption of a person will also reduce resulting in weight loss.
This surgery is accomplished by using a standard three-point clamp technique. This surgery is minimum invasive. This surgery is mainly useful for people who cannot control their overeating habits. Less food will be consumed as your stomach gets smaller. Following proper diets after the surgery advised by your doctor will help in proper weight loss.
How Long After VSG Can I Eat Solid Food?
| Duration | Foods that can be taken |
| 3 to 7 days | Liquid foods that are sugar-free can be taken |
| Week 1 | Liquids that contain proteins can be taken |
| Week 2 | Mashed food and foods that can be digested easily can be taken |
| Week 3 | Soft foods like wafers or crackers can be taken |
| After 1 month | Solid food can be taken with proper diet |
After the surgery, the stomach is reduced in size and so we cannot consume more food. For the first three to seven days after the surgery, one should consume only liquid foods which are sugar-free that given in the hospital. After you are discharged from the hospital you can have liquids that contain proteins. Then from the first week to the second week you can have mashed food, that is food that can be easily digested from the system.
After the second week, you can have soft foods and crackers or wafers in your diet. Then slowly after a month, you can have solid foods. In the second month continue with the regular diet and you can add high protein foods into your diet. However, the diet may vary for each people. It depends on how well the person tolerated the surgery. The doctor or dietitian will provide you with the diet which suits you the best.
Most of the doctors will also ask you to follow a diet before surgery for at least 6 weeks which is not necessary but is effective. Lifting waits, eating heavy foods, walking or running too much, and doing difficult exercises should be avoided for some period after the surgery. While maintaining the diet you will have to have to rest for 2 weeks or more based on the condition of your body as your body needs some time to be healed. You will need a lot of help from your family and friends during the resting period after the surgery.
Why We Should Not Eat Solid Food For 1 Month After VSG?
The reduction in the size of the stomach with the help of the surgery also reduces the capacity of the stomach to break down the food we consume. Therefore for at least one month, one should take only liquid foods so that the stomach can break down the components in the food easily. Gastric Sleeve surgery is one of the quickest and easiest ways to reduce weight but for the surgery to be successful one must follow the proper diet given by the doctors.
By successful, I don’t mean only the surgery but the after-effects of surgery. The effects should end up as expected. To get the desired results after the surgery, one must understand the process in which the surgery works. The VSG not only helps a person to limit food intake but also helps to increase metabolism. The surgery is more effective in the first 6 months and we should take advantage of that time and have regular diets and do simple exercises that will help with the weight loss.
Eating high-calorie food after the surgery will lead to failure of the surgery. Some people might follow proper diets but they don’t do any exercises. This is also not good as diets without exercise are not effective. Exercise is one of the important factors in losing weight. After the surgery, one must avoid medications that may result in gaining weight as a side effect, or else the surgery will end up meaningless. Check the medications you take for any side effects by consulting your doctor.
Conclusion
Before thinking of surgery to lose weight try reducing the weight through normal diets and exercises as it will not have any bad effects on your body. This is advised by many mainly because after the surgery one must take proper care of the body. But many people fail to do this and end up regaining weight.
One must be sincere enough to lose weight properly with or without surgery. One last thing everyone should remember is that doctors don’t graduate from Google. So stop taking medications and following diets just by googling and start following the instructions given by your doctor.