Liver Shrinking Prior to Surger

[Miss Sammy 0]

YMjackson, i never once questioned having to lose weight prior to my surgery nor about shrinking my liver. I am helping myself hence why i have been following as closely to the 300cal diet as i could for the last few months and and becoming stricter the closer i am to surgery date and also why i am on here for support and to get advice from other bandsters. I've been light headed and fainting frequently lately so i am seeking another option of attack. My surgery means everything to me, so i am continuing to do the best i can to ensure everything goes safely and well. If i had my choice id be on shakes and losing the weight because i know i lost it on them, but i can't due to the sickness i get from them. I want as little risk as possible when i go on that table as i am more than frightened about going under the knife again surgery scares the living death out of me.

Love Sammy..

[shadst8 8]

I, too, will be starting surgery over 300 more than likely unless during my pre-op I drop 60 pounds--not.:biggrin: My doctor is requiring 2 liquid meals and 1 small low fat, high Protein, low carb meal. I have decided to do very low carbs the week prior to my pre-op to so that I can just get ready as I try to cut them down now anyway and aid in my shrinkage. I have to agree that 300 calories per day is highly unusual? I am proud for you for sticking to it--it has to be almost torture. An opinion from another surgeon surely could not hurt? I do not feel like you have to blindly follow a surgeon because they are the expert. I feel it is every patient's right to ask questions and give input about your body. They are experts in their field, you are the true expert on your body--you live with it everyday and if it is telling you that is starving by passing out--someone should listen!

[jalomum 1]

Hi, we have a lot in common, so I will bore you with my pre-op strategy and give you my opinion ....I'm from WA too and I have PCOS with all the IR that goes with it. I had the PCOS as a youngster, was at dietitians from the age of 9 and always had the body hair thing and the un-predictable periods, heavy around the middle, low energy levels, hungry 2 hours before everyone else in the world etc. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 40. What a relief...what a waste.:biggrin:

(Do you see a particular doctor for the PCOS? As far as I am aware there is only one in WA who treats it with both metformin and hormones to balance out the androgens excess).

and then 2 years ago I had a major un-diagnosed thyroid collapse which left me with a TSH of 57-yes that is right!! I am 45, 138kgs 2 weeks before the op and 168 tall. BMI just touching on 50.

When I had my op in August I only had time to do the Optifast for 2 weeks, I couldn't survive on that as the IR hunger pangs were horrible and made me feel like I was collapsing inwards. I researched livers function and asked my surgeon if I could supplement the Optifast with the old 'cabbage Soup diet' Soup. Know the one I mean? I was told that was fine.

For 2 weeks I had 3 opti-fast shakes a day and in between each one I had a large, really large, bowl of the soup. Cooked it up every 3 days or so in the slow cooker. Didn't get hungry, lost weight and my liver was fine according to my surgeon.

Any length of time on Optifast or 300 cals a day would likely send your body into starvation, slowed metabolic energy saving, mode anyway. Totally counter-productive.

Research liver function on the net, find out what sort of food it processes and avoid it totally up to the op - I think it's Protein. So all of the veg like celary, cabbage, tomatoes, onions etc that go into the soup are ok.

If I was you I would also be looking to get to Perth and see some of the other surgeons available, the one you are with sounds like he has very little understanding of the physical and emotional stress he is demanding you put your body through. I would think he has no idea how IR affects your hunger and the way you use or rather can't use the energy from the food you eat. Most docs dismiss PCOS and IR as figments of fat womens imaginations and excuses for being fat.:sad:

[happymammaof2 0]

Hi! My initial consult was in November '09, and I have until May or June (it takes 6 months of 'training' before you see the surgeon) to lose 20% of my weight. I have insulin resistance too, so I only have to lose 20-25 pounds. I also have Crohn's disease and Fibromyalgia, which makes it difficult to routinely exercise. I weigh 350 with a BMI of 61.

At the consult they put me on a 1500 cal diet. I have lost 4 pounds so far. I will have to go on a liquid diet prior to surgery and the length of time will be determined by my BMI, which should be going down between now and then. And from the papers they gave me to read, it's not calorie-restricted so much as it is to shrink the liver.

I think you may need a second opinion. ESPECIALLY because you are now fainting. You might be shrinking your liver but you may also be doing some other organs some damage that might not be fixable. And no one can survive on just 300 cals for any length of time.

With having severe Crohn's Disease, I learned one should NEVER blindly accept what your doc tells you to without seeking out information on what he tells you. Just because they have a degree doesn't mean they graduated top in their class. And from the sounds of it, your surgeon doesn't sound like he did either. Always research things, especially if it doesn't sit well with you. And then talk to your doc about your findings...and maybe there can be a compromise. But I think you would be better off seeking a second opinion. It wont hurt, and it will most likely give you a better option to handling your situation.

Hope that helps! Good luck!

[ready4nume 1]

HAPPYMAMA02... my hubby also has chrone's and we are doing our 4 months of preapproval visits right now we go for our 2 appt on jan. 8th...

i just wanteds to wish you luck and say that we will also be 2010 bandsters as well.. maybe we can keep in touch and see how you guys go with your chrone's after the lapband?

[rbailey60 0]

I wonder why my doctor did not mention for me to go on any diet prior to surgery? Two days before surgery I go on a liquid diet and day before I go on a full liquid diet and have to take magnesium citrate. But other than that, no mention to be on any special diet.

I dont know of any human being that can survive on 300 calories a day!

[HiMow 0]

I wonder why my doctor did not mention for me to go on any diet prior to surgery? Two days before surgery I go on a liquid diet and day before I go on a full liquid diet and have to take magnesium citrate. But other than that, no mention to be on any special diet.

I dont know of any human being that can survive on 300 calories a day!

Well apparently I can :smile2: You probably had no special diet because your BMI isnt TOO high.

[gbakerc 2]

If you read alot of the posts on this site you would be lead to believe that 40 to 50% OF Surgeries are cancelled due to thick liver. I believe the number is closer to 1 to 2%. I am not discounting the point that the low number may be related to people adhearing to a diet. Mine was 2 Protein shakes, 3 oz of lean meat and some veggies. About 800 Calories and I lost 16 pounds in 14 days. I think it will be tough to effectively loose weight on 300 calories but I would think you should be able to lose a decent amount by your surgery date. I would definitely get clarification on the diet.

Greg

[Anul 0]

Hey everyone,

I probably should have given you all a little more background information. I see a dietician and have done since i was 9 i am now 21. I suffer from Polycystic Ovarian Disease and Insulin Resistance (just to name a few) and because of this my body doesn't lose weight as easily as most people. I have been big since i was 4 and tried everything under the sun except surgery. Previously i had been on Optifast and lost 15kgs or 33pounds. That had been the only weightloss diet or program that had me lose ANY weight. Being as no other diet works my dietician and surgeon have both said i need to lose 10kgs before my surgery and either i do the shakes (which the doctors have taken me off) or stick to a diet that is equal to being on the shakes which works out to be 300cal a day!

I currently weigh 134kgs or 295.5 pounds. Im huge, and it's a danger me going under the knife. Being at this weight means my liver is quite enlarged etc. So i really need to lose the weight to a) lesson the surgery risks and shrink my liver so he can "lift" it during the laproscopic surgery because apparently if it's too heavy they can't lift it and you can tear the liver etc.

I live in a small town and he is our only surgeon but apparently he is quite good. I know two people who have had it done by him and they don't seem to mind him.

I am just a little stuck atm, as there is no way i can live on this everyday:

one peice of toast and one egg for brekkky

a sml bowl of Water based Soup (consisting of only like cabbage, spinach, broccolli, cauliflower, celery, onion and garlic) for lunch (bland and not overly enjoyable)

and either the Soup for dinner or a small peice of meat and the rest vegies!

That is roughly 300 cal... it doesn't sound that bad but to stick to its impossible. But the dietician and surgeon said that if i want the surgery i have to deal with it, because the surgeon said if i couldn't do shakes he wouldn't do the surgery and when i said well can't i try and alternate diet etc.. he considered it and said that yeah a 300 calorie a day diet May shrink it....

Just really confused and scared right now as ive waited 7months for this surgery because my waiting period on my health insurance wasn't up but now is and i can't wait any longer than febuary. Please Please help.....

Hi Mss Sammy,

I have PCOS too with Insulin resistance and like you I have been large since I was really young. I now at 38 years of age, weight 285 lbs and have a BMI of 51. My sugery date is jan 13 and I have a 2 week pre-op diet of 750-850 calories a day. I begin my diet on Dec 30. I have been advised to take Meditrim - a high Protein supplement and steam vegetables for fibre.

I honestly would get a second opinion. the duration of your pre-op diet as well as its calorie count is way too out of the norm. I understand you want to help yourself - but that somes more like something that will hurt you.

Please, please get a second opinion - find another surgeon!

Good luck and hang in there!

[NolaLola 0]

300 calories for 2 months sounds very extreme! I can't imagine any dietitian or doctor recommended that!

I was 280 lbs when I met with my surgeon. I also have PCOS and IR. She instructed me to be on a 2 week diet. Low carb, low fat, high Protein. 1000 calories a day. shakes and veggies. I added in a little bit of egg whites with no fat or a little bit of boiled chicken breast. I've lost 13.5 lbs in 14 days. Surgery tomorrow!

My pre-op diet was detailed on my blog, Girl Meets Band, if you would like to check it out.

Try to seek out a surgeon with a practice dedicated to weight loss surgery, even if you have to travel for it!

[Miss Sammy 0]

Wow everyone! Thankyou so much for the replies!!

It is honestly really helpful to me emotionally tpo also hear from people suffering similar conditions and would love to chat more to you guys its great!

Because i couldn't go on shakes i was recommended low carb low calorie but dietician said 300cal a day until my surgery to ensure i lose enough weight.

I see the surgeon in 3 weeks so i can find out exactly what the go is then. But from when i see him to surgery date i will Strictly adhere to no carb low sugar diet at 300cal. For now i am just keeping as low carb as i can and eating as little but frequently etc. I have been a bit naughty due to my depression lately but i have also been exercising by going to the beach everyday. I really hope it will be ok.

Due to living in geraldton, i don't have the option of going to perth because i couldn't afford the trips there to get my fills and i don't want to be driving back from perth after surgery and not have my fmaily there so i figured this was the better option. He has done over 30 bands just in geraldton alone, and my best mates mom was one of them and she said she's doing good. So im trusting that!!