What should you pay attention to in your diet before rectal cancer surgery

There is a relatively strict intestinal preparation before colorectal cancer surgery, but fasting is not required. Many patients mistakenly believe that fasting before surgery will reduce the amount of residue in the intestines and help the surgery go smoothly, but this is not the case. Fasting before surgery is not only unhelpful to the surgery, but also has a great impact on the patient's nutrition and health status, and is actually detrimental to the surgery.

Before colorectal cancer surgery, the most important thing is bowel preparation. Bowel preparation starts with controlling diet. For a period of time before surgery, patients should try to eat soft, rotten food with less residue (do not eat crude fiber food such as vegetable leaves). Starting 3 days before surgery, patients should eat semi-liquid food, such as porridge, noodles, etc. 2 days before surgery, patients need to take laxatives and enteral nutrition solution to prepare for surgery. At this time, they still eat semi-liquid food. 1 day before surgery, patients need to eat liquid food (nutrient solution, fruit juice, etc.) and take laxatives. Enema is also required on this day. Enema is also required in the early morning of the day of surgery.

Just follow the doctor's instructions for intestinal preparation and do not fast blindly.

In addition to intestinal preparation, patients and their families should also pay attention to the patient's preoperative bowel movements to see the frequency and characteristics (color, shape, etc.) of the bowel movements, and report any problems to the doctor in a timely manner.

In addition, patients with diabetes need to control their blood sugar before surgery. Patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases need to stabilize their condition and maintain water and electrolyte balance. The doctor's assessment is that surgery is appropriate.