Early Days After Surgery
Diets are very individual and everyone is different. The following information is a guide only.
- There is no special diet now you have a stoma, however, in the early days after surgery your bowel may be swollen which could narrow the passage of content, causing a blockage.
- During this early period you may prefer to eat small amounts more frequently, breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and supper rather than three large meals per day.
- Generally, 6 weeks after surgery people with a stoma can eat and drink what they can tolerate, this may be very like their diet before surgery.
- It is important to chew food well.
What food could cause blockages?
It is wise to avoid stringy fibre foods for the first 6 weeks after surgery and then introduce these slowly. This helps avoid blockages. Depending on how you tolerate these foods, continue or discontinue as suits you.
Foods which swell in the gut or which are not particularly well digested are:
- Nuts, seeds and coconut
- Fruits and vegetables with skins and seeds (remove skins and seed)
- Celery, peas, bamboo shoots
- Sweet corn and popcorn
- Sausage skins and tough meats
- Passionfruit and berries
Ileostomy: because some of these foods don’t digest well they may be clearly identifiable in your pouch output. This is not cause for concern.
What foods cause gas?
Foods which cause gas in people with a stoma are the same as those that cause it in the general population. If gas is a problem avoiding the following may help:
Minimize the intake of air by reducing:
- Smoking/chewing gum/talking while eating /eating too quickly
Avoid foods and drinks which contain gas e.g.
- Fizzy drinks (soft drinks, beer)
- Aerated drinks like milkshakes
Avoid foods that produce gas when fermented in the bowel
- Cabbage varieties
- Dairy products
- Onions
- Cauliflower
- Legumes (lentils, peas etc)
- Dried fruit
This list is a guide only. Depending on how you tolerate these foods, continue or discontinue as suits you.
What foods may produce odour?
Foods which cause odour in people with a stoma are the same as those that cause it in the general population. If odour is a problem avoiding the following may help.
Foods which may cause odour:
- Beans particularly baked beans and kidney beans
- Bran cereals
- Nuts especially peanuts
- Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli
- Eggs
- Milk and milk products
- Onions
- Dried fruit
- Asparagus
- Fish
This list is a guide only. Depending on how you tolerate these foods, continue or discontinue as suits you.
Foods that can prevent odour:
- Blueberries or blueberry juice
- Parsley
- Cranberry juice
- Yogurt (acidophilius)
- Probiotic drinks (Yakult)
- Mint tea
What foods may thicken ileostomy output?
Normal ileostomy output is between 300 and 800ml per day. This usually requires emptying the pouch 4-6 times per day when your pouch is ½ full. Higher output requires higher fluid intake to avoid dehydration. Signs that you are becoming dehydrated include dry mouth and/or skin, headache, nausea, low urine output and dark urine. Please seek immediate medical advice from your family doctor or STN specialist nurse should dehydration occur.
Foods that can thicken output:
- Arrowroot biscuits
- White bread
- Marshmallows
- Starchy foods such as potatoes, kumara, rice, pasta
- Cheese
- Pectin containing foods apple sauce
- Sago and tapioca
Which foods affect the colour of stool?
- Foods containing iron or iron medications will darken or make the stool black
- Beetroot, red peppers, tomatoes and drinks with intense colour (especially red colours). These can make the stool reddish in colour which may look like bleeding.
What changes the colour of urine?
If enough fluid has been drunk, urine should be light yellow in colour and clear. Dark coloured urine indicates you have not drunk enough fluid. Urine maybe darker in colour first thing in the morning due to not drinking overnight.
- Beetroot can make urine darker in colour
- Vitamin supplements can discolour urine
- Asparagus can give urine a green colouring
This information is a general guide only. Every one reacts to food differently and has their special favourites. Most people who have a stoma will return to eating their normal diet. If you have any concerns or questions please contact your STN specialist nurse, your family doctor or a dietitian.
