What should I eat after bowel surgery?

Depending on the severity of your bowel surgery—whether it’s a minor repair or a complete resection—we generally start patients on clear liquids and progress to full liquids (i.e., smoothies, pureed soups, etc.), then slowly add back more solid, fibrous foods based on individual tolerance.

Very often, I like to incorporate specific elemental GI formulations that are targeted toward healing the gut lining. These help ensure that both macro- and micronutrient needs are being met during the recovery process.

I generally keep patients on these formulations until full healing is reached or bowel regulation is achieved. This can take as little as a few months or possibly up to a full year, depending on the extent of the bowel surgery.

Once you’re fully healed from surgery, we can then shift our focus to building your long-term nutritional regimen to support your optimal health and well-being.