Tolerance to Specific Foods After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

We assessed the degree of tolerance to different types of food after LSG to provide specific useful advice concerning food intake to these patients during the first postoperative year.

A specific questionnaire measuring tolerance to 59 types of food was completed in postoperative months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 in a prospective consecutive cohort of patients who underwent LSG. An ordinal score of tolerance based on the median (Me) and a cumulative link ordinal model (CLOM) analyzing temporal variability in oral tolerance to each type of food were used. Foods with Me values of 3 points or higher and CLOM values of approximately 80% or higher were considered well tolerated.

Sixty-five patients were included in the study. The questionnaire was completed in the first, third, sixth, ninth, and twelfth months by 42 (64%), 44 (67%), 41 (63%), 41 (63%), and 39 (60%) patients, respectively. All kinds of fish were very well tolerated. Regarding meat intake, chicken, turkey, rabbit, and minced meat were well tolerated, whereas lamb, veal, and pork were not. Except for noodles and toasted bread, a poor degree of tolerance during follow-up was found for most carbohydrates. Yogurt, skimmed milk, and cottage cheese were well tolerated. A heterogeneous degree of tolerance was observed for vegetables, with cooked vegetables being well tolerated, and raw vegetables not.

Our study provides individual information on specific foods regarding their degree of tolerance. This information may be useful for advising patients during the first postoperative year after LSG.