Patients who undergo craniofacial surgery should stick to a special diet to help them heal properly. Below is a set of guidelines for what a craniofacial surgery patient should eat immediately following surgery up until they see their provider for a post-surgery follow-up.
Note: If your provider tells you to eat differently from what is shown below, please follow their advice.
Immediately After Surgery Until 48 Hours After Surgery
Immediately following your craniofacial surgery until 48 hours (two days) after your surgery, you should be following a Full Liquid Diet with no dairy products.
Examples of what is allowed on a full liquid diet, no dairy include:
- water
- electrolyte drinks (like Gatorade or Powerade)
- fruit and vegetable juices
- gelatin (such as Jell-O)
- broth
- popsicles (without the popsicle stick)
- fruit ices
- clear nutritional drinks (such as Ensure® Clear Nutrition Drink or BOOST Breeze®)
- Almond milk
- Oat milk
- Soy milk
48 Hours After Surgery Until Your Post-Operative Visit
From 48 hours (two days) after your craniofacial surgery until you see your provider in the office for a post-operative follow-up appointment, you should follow a Blender Soft Diet—that is, anything you can run a fork through.
Examples of foods allowed on a blender soft diet include:
- thinned oatmeal or cream of wheat/cream of rice cereal
- thinned/runny mashed potatoes with milk, butter, or gravy
- noodle soups: ramen or phở (with noodles broken into small pieces), without meat or vegetables
- pudding
- smoothies
- protein shakes
- milkshakes
- ice cream or sherbet
- Thrive® brand gelato
- yogurt
- applesauce
- puréed cottage cheese
- puréed fruits and vegetables
- puréed pasta
- puréed casserole
- puréed meats
- puréed eggs
- Ensure® nutritional shakes
- BOOST® nutritional drinks
- PediaSure®
Please note: a blender soft diet does not include whole noodles, bread, cooked eggs, or rice.
This information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace the advice of your health care providers. If you have any questions, talk with your doctor or others on your health care team. If you are a Gillette patient with urgent questions or concerns, please contact Telehealth Nursing at 651-229-3890.