Cancer Colon Cancer Living With Diet Suggestions After a Colostomy or Colectomy By Suzanne Dixon, MPH, RD twitter linkedin Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RDN, is an award-winning registered dietitian and epidemiologist, as well as an expert in cancer prevention and management. Learn about our editorial process Suzanne Dixon, MPH, RD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Priyanka Chugh, MD on November 21, 2019 linkedin Priyanka Chugh, MD, is a board-certified gastroenterologist in practice with Trinity Health of New England in Waterbury, Connecticut. Learn about our Medical Review Board Priyanka Chugh, MD on November 21, 2019 Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents The Procedures Diet After Surgery Foods to Limit Foods That Help Chewing Thoroughly If you have undergone a colostomy or colectomy, you may be wondering how you should change your diet. The good news is that while you may need to make some changes to the foods you eat, you probably will not need to completely overhaul the way you eat. In addition, you will likely receive support from your doctor and/or a nutritionist shortly after your surgery to help you learn the best way to eat. Ellen Lindner / Verywell Colectomies and Colostomies A colectomy is a surgical procedure to remove all or part of your colon. Your colon, also called your large intestine, is a long tube-like organ at the end of your digestive tract. A colectomy may be necessary to treat or prevent diseases and conditions that affect your colon. A colostomy is a surgical procedure in which the surgeon connects the remaining part of your colon or small intestine to an opening in your abdomen where waste can leave the body. This is usually collected in a bag. There are various types of colectomy operations, including: Total colectomy involves removing the entire colon. Partial colectomy involves removing part of the colon and may also be called subtotal colectomy. Hemicolectomy involves removing the right or left portion of the colon. Proctocolectomy involves removing both the colon and the rectum. Colectomy surgery usually requires other procedures to reattach the remaining portions of your digestive system and permit waste to leave your body, such as with a colostomy. Diet After Surgery Typically, a person will receive only IV fluids for two to three days after a colectomy or colostomy, to give the colon time to heal. After that, you can try clear liquids, such as soup broth and juice, followed by easy-to-digest foods, such as toast and oatmeal. You will be able to go back to your normal diet after this, but if you have a colostomy, you may want to avoid certain foods that cause odors or gas, which can over-inflate the colostomy bag and make it more difficult to manage. How to Prevent Embarrassment From Colostomy Gas Foods to Limit With a Colostomy Foods that sometimes need to be limited in order to make it easier to manage your colostomy include: Raw vegetables Skins and peels of fruit (fruit flesh is OK) Dairy products Very high fiber food such as wheat bran cereals and bread Beans, peas, and lentils Corn and popcorn Brown and wild rice Nuts and seeds Cakes, pies, cookies, and other sweets High fat and fried food such as fried chicken, sausage, and other fatty meats Foods That Help a Colostomy Other foods can be helpful after a colostomy to thicken the stool and minimize odors. These include: Yogurt (with live and active cultures) Cranberry juice Bananas Applesauce Well-cooked, sticky white rice Buttermilk Tapioca White toast Chewing Thoroughly After Colostomy Be sure to thoroughly chew everything you eat. Chewing is an important part of the digestive process and we all chew our food to some degree. However, if you make a special effort to chew food very well, it will help you manage your colostomy more easily. Try to chew everything until it's liquid in your mouth. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Limiting processed foods and red meats can help ward off cancer risk. These recipes focus on antioxidant-rich foods to better protect you and your loved ones. Sign up and get your guide! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Loftus EV, Friedman HS, Delgado DJ, Sandborn WJ. Colectomy subtypes, follow-up surgical procedures, postsurgical complications, and medical charges among ulcerative colitis patients with private health insurance in the United States. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2009;15(4):566-75. doi:10.1002/ibd.20810 Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Diet guidelines for people with a colostomy. Updated February 14, 2019.