Low residue Diet

LOW RESIDUE DIET - is given for colon, perineal and rectal surgery prep before and after. The purpose is to decrease the pressure of the operative site. (NCLEX question). If the patient is given high residue diet there is a lot of residue sitting in the intestine causing pressure on the operative site. During post op low residue diet is given to decrease the pressure on that site and it is also used for prep before doing rectal or colon visualization. There will be less residue sitting in the bowel to visualize the bowel a lot better.

It is also used for Crohn’s and Ulcerative Disease both will have 20-50x bowels a day. So to promote or increase absorption of nutrients Low residue diet is needed because the residue sitting a little longer and pass slower in the small intestine where more absorption occurs. Patient should avoid high fiber food like nuts, seeds, food with skin, milk and milk products.