Learning About Your Diet After Esophageal Surgery

Surgery on your esophagus changes the way food and liquids move through your body. Depending on the procedure, your stomach may be reshaped or moved up to reconnect with what's left of your esophagus. This means your stomach won't hold as much food as it used to.

So you'll need to follow a special diet for a while after surgery. Your diet will change in stages as you heal.

Your digestive system needs time to adjust to its new shape. Eating the wrong foods or too much food at once can cause discomfort, reflux, or nausea. It also can make it harder for food to move through your system safely.

A special diet helps you avoid those problems. It also gives your body the nutrition it needs to heal. It's common to lose some weight during this process, even with careful eating. Try not to be alarmed if your weight changes a bit while you recover.

Right after surgery, you may get nutrition through a feeding tube placed into the small intestine. This gives your esophagus time to heal before you start eating by mouth again.

Once you're ready to eat, you'll start with liquids only. Then you'll move to soft foods for several weeks. These need little to no chewing. Over time, you'll work your way back toward a more regular diet. But you need to be careful with dense or tough foods even after you've mostly recovered.

It takes some time to get used to this diet, but a few habits can help.

• Eat 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large ones. Your stomach can't hold as much as it used to.
• Take small bites and chew your food well.
• Stay upright while you eat and for about 45 to 60 minutes afterward. Lying down too soon can cause food or liquid to back up.
• Try to drink fluids between meals rather than with them. Filling up on liquids during a meal can make it harder to eat enough food.

Your doctor may suggest taking a daily multivitamin. Ask your care team whether you also need extra calcium, iron, B12, or folic acid.

Some foods are more likely to cause discomfort as you recover. Tough or stringy meats and dense breads can be hard to swallow. Fatty, acidic, spicy, or very hot or cold foods can worsen reflux. And carbonated drinks and gas-producing foods (such as beans, cabbage, and onions) can also cause discomfort.

Everyone tolerates foods differently. If something bothers you at first, it's usually fine to try it again in a week or two.

Eating too quickly or too much at once can lead to dumping syndrome, a condition in which food moves into your small intestine too fast. This can cause nausea, cramping, or diarrhea shortly after eating. Eat slowly and stick to smaller portions to help prevent this.

To ease reflux, avoid tight clothing around your stomach. Don't lie down right after eating, and try raising the head of your bed while you sleep.

Call your care team if you notice unexplained weight loss, can't keep food down, or have ongoing vomiting.