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Pre and Post Operative Nutrition

There are some simple things that each of us can do in order to optimize our chances for a safe, effective surgical procedure.

The first thing may seem like an oxymoron, but really isn't. You want to be as strong and as healthy as you can be going into a surgery. Many surgeries have some lee-way as to when they are done. Hip replacements, shoulder repairs, even hysterectomies are often scheduled months out so that you, as the patient, have time to optimize your nutrition status and health before the actual surgery.

When I work with my patients pre-surgery, and we have the luxury of time, I always assess their immune status, adrenal strength, protein intake, liver function and bowel status.

Assessing immune status includes making sure that the patient's immune system is as balanced and strong as possible. Checking the status of Vitamin D, calcium, and bioflavonoids are a few of the building blocks that are important for a strong immune system. Sometimes I will treat Candida yeast overgrowths, or Helicobacter pylori infections to take some chronic stress off the immune system if it is appropriate.

In Chinese Medicine, the adrenals are where the "fire of life" resides. It is also where the deep immunity of a person is found. Many people are walking around with exhausted adrenals and complain that fatigue is a major issue along with chronic sleep issues. Testing for adrenal function is often appropriate and can help pinpoint the extent of the dysfunction and identify an appropriate healing strategy. Strong adrenals ensure that you will have energy to recover and heal quickly.

The most important thing that you can do to ensure strong adrenals is to stabilize your blood sugar levels by eating small, frequent meals. This means eating every three to four hours during the day. Be sure to include at least 15 grams of protein with each meal and snack. Minimizing your intake of simple carbohydrates is important. A simple way to think about this is to avoid the "whites": white sugar, white bread, white rice.

Paying attention to your protein intake before and after surgery is also important to insure that you will have the building blocks needed for tissue repair. Soy, whey and fish protein will give you high quality, easy to digest protein that won't overload your digestive system.

Even if my patients have only a few weeks before surgery the #1 thing that I will have them do is a liver "tune-up". If you think about it, it is the liver that has to process or clear all the drugs and anesthesia that are put into your system when you have surgery. Most of us have sluggish liver function from a Chinese Medicine point of view. I use a "medical food" designed for the liver and have them take it several weeks before the surgery and again once they get home. Milk thistle, dandelion, beets and artichoke are herbs and foods that will all benefit the liver.

Note: Follow your surgeon's instructions to the letter concerning supplement use before and immediately after surgery. Different surgeries require the use of different drugs and some are not compatible with supplements.

Last but not least you want to make sure that your bowels are cleaned out before surgery. If you have regular and complete bowel movements you are ready to go. If you are one of the millions who suffer from sluggish bowels or suffer from constipation you may want to take a mild laxative such as milk of magnesia several days before your surgery, but not the night before.

Everyone would do well to eat intentionally "light" the day or two before surgery. The reason for this is that you do not want your energies to be bogged down with digestion and excess "sludge" that needs to be eliminated. Soups, salads, cooked vegetables and small amounts of high quality protein are the best menu items.

After surgery, add light foods first, go back to supporting your liver and make sure that you have regular meals with high quality protein.