Pre-op diet easy cuz I'm scared?

I started my pre-op diet on Monday.  My surgery is on March 20th and my doc said I had to do this to shrink my liver.  I didn't quite understand why my liver had to shrink so I Googled "Liver Shrinking Diet" and this is what I found out.  The liver sits on top of your stomach.  When the doc goes in laparoscopically to sleeve you he has to move it out of the way.  The diet prescribed shrinks the liver by limiting fats, sugars and carbohydrates.  The liver stores those things as a first source of energy needed by your body.  As a result, you liver tends to swell with water and fat and becomes bigger and more dense.  If your liver is too big and can't easily be moved out of the way, there is a chance they would have to abandon the laparoscopy to open you up traditionally to do the surgery.  That scares the hell out of me.  Maybe that's the reason I'm having absolutely no problems taking in under 800 calories a day of mostly protein drinks, cottage cheese and yogurt .  The good news is I've lost almost 10 lbs already!

What I heard was a bit different, but it scared the hell out of me, too.  Also, my VSG being my first-ever surgery, the suggestion that losing weight and shrinking my liver could result in less time on the table was another highly motivating factor.

Keep up the great work!!

Hi, I'm a long time lurker, first time poster.  I have my surgery on March 18 and start my pre-op diet next Monday.  We were told in our surgery consultation today that another reason for the diet is to empty the stomach and intestines.  Our surgeon actually recommended a clear liquid diet for the day before surgery to make sure there isn't any food in your belly that falls out when they start to cut.  Apparently a patient last week had eaten three pieces of pizza the night before her surgery and ended up in the hospital for a week (sounded like the food particles leaked all over her insides - scary). 

That sounds like a tale to scare you.  The surgery is done with a device that staples as it cuts.  I am not too sure that anything could leak out if it wanted to.  I could be wrong but I think it may be like a story you tell a kid so that they don't do some undesirable behavior.  The device they use ... thing of a pair of scissors.  As the blade cuts there are three lines of staples on each side of the blade that is closing things as it is being cut.  Or you could think of it as a stapler that lays down six rows of staples ... three rows on each side of a blade that is cutting at the same time.  I guess it could be possible that things don't get stapled quick enough to prevent such a leak but somehow I doubt it is the case.

My surgery was at 1pm on a Thursday.  I ate a dozen and a half of buffalo wings at about 6 pm the night before without any issues.  My only instructions were to stop eating by midnight the night before.  Each surgeon has their own plan and you should follow those plans even if they might tell you a "scare" story to reinforce their wishes.  Again I am not saying that they are wrong.  Just that I am a bit skeptical of the story.

My surgery is on the 21st and I'm on day 1 of my pre-op diet. It's not easy but it will be good for both of us, right?!? Hang in there!