After surgeries, our nutrient needs are higher in order to facilitate healing, especially patients who have undergone maxillofacial surgery.
Why is it important to eat well after surgery?
Surgical incisions in or around the mouth and post-operative swelling can make chewing and swallowing more difficult. In addition, depending on the type of surgical procedure, a diet with soft or liquid foods may be necessary to promote healing. On average, an adult needs to eat about 2,000 calories a day. Protein needs may increase even more after surgery, in order to help healing to be faster, therefore, it is very important to know what we can eat according to the surgery.
Nutritional recommendations according to the type of maxillofacial surgery:
- Oral surgery: if you have just had oral surgery such as, for example, implant placement, biopsies or similar, you should know that you do not need to increase your nutrient intake considerably.
However, it is recommended that you maintain a liquid or soft diet for a few days. In this way, you will avoid possible injuries at the surgical site and you will feel more comfortable when eating.
In addition, to facilitate recovery and healing, we recommend that you avoid physical activities that may alter coagulation.
- Orthognathic surgery and facial fractures: In the past, patients undergoing jaw fracture surgery had their jaw immobilized to facilitate healing. This was done by using elastic rubber bands to hold the teeth together, and was known as “intermaxillary locking”.
Although this technique may be necessary in some cases, especially in mandibular fractures, we now almost always use micro-screws and mini rigid fixation plates to ensure accurate and predictable healing.
These rigid fixation systems are small enough to be barely noticeable to patients and do not need to be removed. However, because of their small size they cannot withstand chewing force until some time has passed.
Immediately after surgery, swelling may make it difficult to consume solid food. During this period of time, which may last several days, all food will be entirely liquid.
Because the diet is restricted to liquid food, you will need to be conscious of incorporating all the nutrients. One way to make sure this happens is to rely on nutritional supplements available in liquid form. Its high caloric density and balance of proteins, calories and vitamins can be a very good option for those recovery days.
Another way to ingest basic nutrients is through vegetable creams. These are perfect for post maxillofacial surgery treatments, as they incorporate all the necessary benefits of vegetables that will help you recover.
It is important to keep in mind that the food cannot be too hot and should not have acidic or spicy seasonings. All this could irritate and inflame the operated area.
After this first phase of liquid diet, it is likely that a semi-solid diet will be recommended, that is, based on foods that do not need to be bitten or chewed. Here we will find many of the usual foods for the patient, such as: scrambled eggs, pasta, fish, etc. This diet can last from three to six weeks after surgery, although it can be longer, especially for patients undergoing TMJ or reconstructive surgery.
- Intermaxillary fixation: for those patients who have intermaxillary fixation after surgery, a liquid diet will be necessary until the jaws are free. The above recommendations for a liquid diet are a good starting point, however, after initial healing, a more varied diet will be desirable. Mixtures of different diluted foods can be made to achieve a suitable consistency. Juice, milk, water or broth can be used as a diluent.
To avoid hygiene problems, the resulting mixture should be filtered to remove particles and dietary fiber. Nutritional supplements will help to cover the nutritional needs.
Since the recommended amount is 1.5 to 5 liters per day, it can be thickened by adding different preparations such as cornstarch, semolina, tapioca, etc., until the appropriate consistency is achieved.
What is a liquid diet after maxillofacial surgery?
A liquid diet should be planned in such a way that it is rich in all the necessary nutrients.
Here are some foods that you should incorporate in your breakfast, lunch and dinner:
- You can have fresh fruit juices or milk for breakfast.
- You can also have chicken soup and beef soup for lunch and dinner, along with some vegetable juices.
- In the afternoon, as a snack, you can drink lemonade, fruit juices with honey, soft ice cream, yogurts, jams, and milk shakes. Ice cream can be served as a dessert. It is recommended to use only skim milk.
While on a liquid diet, don’t forget to drink plenty of water every day! Liquid diets not only promote weight loss, but also detoxification of the body.