Why is the pre-op diet liquids only?

I don't have a whole heckuva lot else to think about in the next week besides my surgery, and as I was having my chicken broth for lunch today (I'm on my 2 week liquid pre-op diet), I got to wondering, WHY does it have to be liquid? The purpose of the diet is to thin the liver so it's easier for the surgeon to work, I get that. But to me, calories are calories, whether it's a chicken breast or a bowl of cream of chicken soup. So, why is it I have to be on full liquids to shrink my insides when over the last month of solid food dieting, I've lost 27 pounds? Just doesn't make sense to me to change up what I've been doing, if I'm still rapidly losing the weight. There has to be science here that I'm missing.

I've wondered about that.  After watching a few videos of the surgery on YouTube, I can imagine that when the stomach is sectioned, the leftover part isn't stapled, so whatever was in it can now spill freely into your insides...especially when they drag it out through that small lap tube.  I would prefer that was pure water, nothing else.

Not everyone has to do a 2-week liquid diet. That is something that some surgeons do. Mine didn't, and for that I'm grateful.

And when they section off the stomach, there are three lines of staples laid down on both sides of the cut. Of course, the stomach needs to be empty, but it doesn't take two weeks to accomplish that. I think, for those programs that require it, it's more about reducing the fattiness of the liver.

I don't know why but I sure am dreading it.

My doctor said that the liquid diet is to shrink the liver and other organs so that the stomach is easier to get to and to reduce the chance of organs being accidently damaged during surgery.

I saw a picture somewhere (I think in was in my doc's monthly Seminar, but I'm not sure where I saw it) that showed the Liver and other organs on a normal day and the liver and organs after a liquid diet and the liver especially was noticably smaller.

It makes sense to me because if you are eating all liquids you will lose weight more rapidly than if you take in solids. You'll probably urinate a lot of it. It also gets you prepared for after surgery because your diet will consist of the same thing.

Hang in there. My doctor didn't require that--only all liquids the day before surgery.

I was on clear liquids 24 hours before surgery, but besides that it was basically a low carb diet

I was on a liquid diet for 1 week before the surgery.  Honestly, I thought that was the worst thing about the whole proces.  (minus the pain) 

You can do it!!!!

I will start a pre-op diet 2 weeks before, but It can be protien i.e. chicken , turkey, fish ect...and veggies.
Lots of water...Protien drinks.  cream Soups...
The last 3 days before my surgery clear liquids only... Whew! I was really worried and feel better now.
Julie

The liquid pre-op diet has never made much sense to me (beyond the day before, which is fairy routine for any GI surgery.) I can understand the lo cal diet to lose some weight pre-op, though that is far from universal. Some docs say that it helps shrink or de-slime the liver which can be helpful when working around that area of our anatomy, but there isn't even much consistency in that - my surgeon doesn't require the long pre-op diet, and he's a liver specialist (maybe crappy livers don't bother him as much as other surgeons?)