Patient Education

Dietary Guidlines

Post Operative Instructions

Diet & Recovering From Surgery

After any type of surgery involving the throat or neck, eating and drinking can be particularly painful. But, the rate of your recovery will be greatly affected by both your fluid and caloric intake. So, though eating and drinking will be difficult, they are not optional; they are essential to the healing process. Alabama ENT Associates has carefully compiled this helpful Patient Information Handout, “Dietary Guidelines” to help you…

…be informed about what your body needs to heal, and

…provide you with some suggestions for nutritional and enjoyable food and beverage substitutes until you achieve your presurgery level of health and wellness.

Daily Calorie & Fluid Needs

LIQUIDS: Most commercial liquid supplements are made-up of nearly 90% water. Choose liquids that are also excellent calorie sources. Below is a partial list of suitable sources of both calories and fluids:

SOFT FOODS: During the healing process, eating will cause discomfort. The careful selection or preparation of soft foods that are also excellent sources of energy will make the path to recovery more enjoyable. Below is a brief list of acceptable soft foods and their caloric content:

BOOSTERS: Sometimes during recovery, your appetite just won’t allow the proper volume of foods. The helpful list below contains some creative and delicious ways to “boost” your caloric intake without increasing the amount you need to eat:

RECIPES: Below are six beverage recipes high in calories and suitable for a post-operative diet: