Foods to avoid after Liver Transplant

Once after the liver transplant is done, the patient is usually allowable to recover in intensive care unit as liver transplant is a major operation. Some patients may even need to be on ventilator for assisted breathing. An antibiotic, intravenous fluids and nutritional care support is needed for most of the patients. Patients may be allowed to leave the ICU in a few days but remain in hospital ward for another two - three weeks before they are discharged. Patents recovery at home is usually a long time and it is a much slower in process. It will usually take three to six months in order for the person to return to his normal work and activities. Take some information about hospitals for liver transplant in India if you are told for a liver transplant.

Liver Transplantation patients are advised to plan a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol and smoking after the operation is the most important factor one should take care. Nutrition is very much important for the healing of wound and speedy return to normal functionalities. Weight gain, cholesterol and high blood sugar should be avoided and correction as soon as possible as these may be unfavorable to the new liver. Good and safe food management is the vital for everyone particularly for liver transplant patients. Infact these patients are most at higher risk of food borne infections. Need to check whether all food is thoroughly washed and cooked before consumption. Liver transplant patients are advised to avoid raw or undercooked meat, fish (such as sushi and oysters), poultry or eggs. All the milk, cheese and the fruit juices should be consumed pasteurized. The foods must be stored as per the requirements of temperature and condition. Patient’s needs to take extra care by washing their hands all the time before each meal as well as before and after preparing food, and it should be particular when touching raw meat, fish, or poultry.

After the liver transplant, a long-term plan to make sure that the patients follow a proper nutritional plan in preventing themselves from dietary problems which in turn may be caused by medications. The most commonly seen problems are obesity, high fat profile, diabetes, hypertension and osteoporosis. The dietician will take the patient eating habits into consideration and plan what need to be taken and what needs to be avoided - number of calories and the amount of daily proteins will be given based on the age, gender, weight and activities. Dietary problems which results as a side effects to medication are – obesity, hypertension, diabetes or glucose intolerance, osteoporosis and magnesium. It is much important that you or anyone who cooks for you should handle the food safely and always follow cleanliness, keeping the patients things separate and cook as directed by dietician.

Foods to be avoided after the liver transplant surgery have been performed:

-          Avoid raw seafood’s like clams, oysters, sushi and ceviche

-          Avoid raw, rare or undercooked meat and fish

-          Avoid canned or tinned foods and if using then it should be consumed within the “sell by” dates

-          Raw, cracked eggs or half cooked eggs

-          Avoid foods which contains raw eggs like cookie dough or the homemade eggnog

-          Avoid unpasteurized milk and unpasteurized cheese

-          Avoid Unpasteurized cider

-          Avoid grapefruit, pomegranates or Seville oranges due to their effect on immune-suppression medications

-          Avoid unwashed fruits, unwashed vegetables, readymade salads such as coleslaw, potato salad

-          Avoid bean and alfalfa sprouts

-          Sodium or salt should be limited

-          Avoid unpasteurized yoghurts and live yoghurts

-          Avoid Soft ice-cream

-          Avoid reheating the food more than once

-          Avoid too many foods which contain a lot of fat

-          Avoid too many sugary foods and sugary drinks

I hope this information was helpful and I would recommend to gather some information about hospitals for liver transplant in India before any final decision on transplant.