Will eating protein chips, chicken, lettuce & salsa 24 hours before surgery ruin it?

No, having a small portion of chicken, lettuce, and salsa on top of your protein chips is unlikely to ruin your bariatric surgery. Pre-op diets are typically designed to reduce the size of your liver, making surgery safer and easier for the surgeon. While it’s important to follow your surgeon’s guidelines as closely as possible, a small, lean protein addition like chicken with vegetables (lettuce) and salsa (which is low in calories) is unlikely to significantly impact liver size or surgical outcomes.

The ideal is to have a preoperative diet that is generally 1 month, or at least 2 weeks, this varies depending on your BMI. Each bariatric surgery team has its preoperative diet, but in itself, it consists of eating healthy, and smaller portions of food.
We explain and send our preoperative diet to all our patients. As well as within the preoperative diet, the liquid diet stage is recommended for the last 3 days, before surgery, therefore, you would not do it. What you should strictly do is fast 8 hours before your surgery.
The preoperative diet is essential in bariatric surgery because it helps shrink the liver and reduce fat around the stomach, making the surgery easier and lowering the risk of complications. It also prepares the patient for the dietary changes required after surgery, ensuring a safer and more effective transition to long-term weight loss.