Bariatric surgery dramatically decreases the size and capacity of a patient's stomach. This makes proper nutrition and hydration the principal challenge of the bariatric patient. The diet immediately following surgery is composed of all liquids for several weeks. Nutritional drinks offer the nutrition bariatric patients need in a form that their body can handle. The nutritional drink is designed to contain everything the body needs for proper function.
Surgery
Bariatric surgery is a now common procedure where a surgeon mechanically shrinks the patient's stomach. The procedure is done by stapling the stomach, making the portion that holds food about the size of a shot glass. In some cases part of the small intestine, which absorbs nutrients, is bypassed resulting in more rapid weight loss. Another popular form of the procedure is to band the stomach so it will only hold a small amount of food before the person feels full. Due to the reduced ability to hold food, proper diet becomes crucial to avoid malnutrition after surgery. This is where nutritional drinks come in.
Drinks
Nutritional drinks, such as Ensure, are designed to provide complete balanced nutrition in a liquid form. This is exactly what the postoperative bariatric patient needs. These drinks contain all aspects of nutrition from fiber to protein and fats. They also contain loads of vitamins and minerals, making them true meal replacements. Nutritional drinks are also very nutrient-dense, meaning they contain all of the components the body needs in a small serving size.
Stomach After Surgery
The bariatric patient's stomach following surgery is very small. It is also very delicate from the surgical alteration. This presents a feeding challenge for the patient. The new smaller, fragile stomach cannot mechanically handle large quantities or foods that are hard to digest. This makes the only option nutrient-dense liquid items that are easy to digest.
Nutrition
For the body to function normally, it requires several things: carbohydrates for energy, protein for building materials, and fats to help cushion and protect structures. The body also needs electrolytes such as sodium, potassium and chloride to create the electrical charges that move nerve signals, make the heart beat and transfer materials across cell walls. Nutritional drinks provide all of these and can be tailored to other needs, such as low sugar for diabetics.
Malnutrition
Bariatric patients are at a surprising risk for malnutrition. With the size of their new stomach, it is mechanically hard to get the necessary nutrition through the smaller GI tract. They need to eat hourly to just keep up with their nutritional requirements. Missing a few meals can put them at a severe deficit. This makes the nutritional drink invaluable as it packs a big nutritional punch in a small size.
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