Diet after Bowel Surgery
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts,"
I'm a survivor of anal cancer and also had to have 6-8" of small bowel removed last year because my radiation treatment really messed it up. [The only thing] dietitians have told me is that plenty of fruits and veggies are good. My problem is [that] I can't digest them or lots of other foodsl, so what am I supposed to eat to stay healthy?
Sherri Cirignano, MS, RD, LDN, Clinical Dietitian Specialist for the Abramson Cancer Center, responds:
The following are recommendations that may be helpful in the situation you have described.
- Frequent, small meals (5-6 times daily)
- The diet should consist of mostly complex carbohydrates, which are whole plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. This should comprise 50-60% of the total daily calories.
- Lean protein from sources such as the white meat of poultry, fish, and lean meats.
- No more than 20-30% of the diet should be fat from sources such as olive oil & canola oil.
- Canned fruit and cooked vegetable such as green beans, beets, and carrots can be eaten if fresh fruit and vegetables are not tolerated.
- Simple carbohydrates/sugars should be avoided. Examples of this are fruit juices and beverages and food items with sugar listed as one of the first 3-4 ingredients
- Foods should be well-chewed
- Fiber and vitamin supplementation may be indicated
It may also be beneficial for you to have another face-to-face meeting with a Registered Dietitian if you continue to experience difficulties and/or are losing weight. Perhaps meeting with a dietitian several times over a few months while you get things regulated would be helpful. Keep a log of what you eat and when, what side effects you experience, and when they occur in relation to meals in order to review everything with your dietitian.
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