Diet after laparoscopic cholecystectomy
After laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the diet should be careful not to be overly greasy. For at least 15 days after surgery, patients should follow the following dietary rules (Table 1) and try to avoid fried foods (French fries, fried meat, etc.), sweets (cakes, chocolate, cream, etc.), foods high in cholesterol (eggs, liver and shrimp, etc.) and green vegetables (lettuce, bean pods, etc.). Afterwards, patients can gradually return to their previous diet, but it is recommended that the patient’s daily diet be based on soft foods, reducing calories and fine carbohydrates, and reducing fat and cholesterol intake while also consuming more dietary fiber.
Food groups
Allowed
Prohibited
Dairy products
Nonfat or low-fat milk or yogurt
Full-fat milk or full-fat yogurt, chocolate milk
Beverages
Coffee, tea, soft drinks
Alcoholic beverages, beverages with chocolate
Meat
mainly white meat, grilled or boiled, cut off fat
Pork, sausage, salted meat, Italian sausage, canned fish
Cheese
Skim or low-fat cheeses made from skim milk
Other types of cheese
Eggs
Up to 1 egg per day, preferably not
Fried eggs
Vegetables
Potatoes, tomatoes and other non-green vegetables, cooked
Green vegetables (e.g. lettuce, bean pods), canned vegetables with fat, fried potatoes
Fruits
Fresh citrus fruits
Avocados, coconuts
Sweets
Cane sugar, honey, jam
Chocolate, fudge
Others
Ketchup, garlic, vinegar, unbuttered popcorn
Fatty foods such as olives, pepper, cream (e.g. cake)
A low-fat, low-cholesterol diet with sufficient high-quality protein, vitamins and micronutrients is recommended in the early postoperative period after gallbladder surgery and should be maintained for at least 2 weeks. Postoperative fat intake should not exceed 30
g per day, cholesterol intake should not be higher than 300 mg per day, and daily energy intake should be 20~25
kcal/kg per day is appropriate. Dietary fiber should be soluble fiber from pectin, algae gum and soy gum, and ensure sufficient water intake. It is also important to avoid frying and deep-frying. Recommendations (Table 2)
Type of food
Desirable
Prohibited/reduced
Staple foods
Fine rice-flour coarse grains, puffed and fried staple foods
Dairy products
Non-fat or low-fat milk or yogurt
Full-fat milk or full-fat yogurt
Eggs
Egg whites
Egg yolk
Beverages
Clear water, light tea with alcoholic beverages, coffee, strong tea
Meat
Skinless poultry, aquatic products and lean meat (pork, beef, sheep, etc.)
Fatty meat, animal offal, fish roe, crab yolk, shrimp head, bacon, salted meat, canned meat, etc.
Vegetables
Low-fiber vegetables, such as peeled winter squash, potatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.
High-fiber vegetables, such as leeks, celery, beans, etc.
Fruits
Medium or low sugar fruits (e.g. watermelon, apple, kiwi, strawberry, etc.) and prepared fruit purees and juices
Fruits with high sugar content (such as lychee, grapes, oranges, sugar cane, bananas, etc.)
Sweet food
Light honey water, lotus root powder
Excessive cane sugar, sweets
Edible oils
Peanut oil, olive oil, soybean oil, tea oil and other vegetable oils, total 10-15 g per day
Animal oil, margarine and various types of trans fatty acid foods
Cooking method
Steaming, stewing, etc.
Deep-fried, pan-fried, etc.
Minimize the consumption of raw, cold, hard and spicy foods within one month after surgery. In most patients, the original gallbladder function can be basically replaced by the liver within 3-6 months.
Discharge instructions: Keep the wound clean and clear without rubbing other drugs. If there is a drainage tube and drainage bag in the abdomen, please record the drainage flow and color every day. The normal color is light yellow and the amount is less than 50ml per day, if the color changes or the drainage volume increases greatly, please go to the hospital at any time.