Liver shrink

[Marie8777 136]

I understand that the reason some surgeons request a liquid diet before surgery is so that your liver shrinks. The day of sugary do they run test on you to see if it shrunk?????

[SuzeMuze 338]

Not that I'm aware of. Shrinking the liver makes it easier to manipulate your "insides". From what I understand if your liver is still too difficult to work with, the surgery will either be postponed, or changed to a full open incision procedure.

[leanora27801 315]

When I went for my surgery, then doctor told me the same thing SuzeMuze, but luckily my surgery went great and I went home the next day!

[Djmohr 6,965]

That is my understanding as well. When I read that people don't do well on the pre op diet I just cringe. Many don't realize they could be sabotaging themselves. That diet is not only to get you used to the post op diet but mostly to shrink your liver.

My surgeon actually told me that when he first started performing this surgery he was not convinced that this diet would do that much so quickly to improve the size of ones liver. He said he quickly learned that it can make a significant difference in the outcome of a laparoscopic procedure vs. an open procedure.

He then said he decided he was going to try the liquid diet himself just so he knew what his patients would be going through. So for 10 days which is his requirement he did it as well.

To answer the other question about testing, I asked this question of my surgeon before surgery. They told me no, they try the laparoscopic procedure and if they cannot maneuver, then they will go to an open surgery.

Hope this helps.