Maximizing the Surgery Recovery Process
Power Healing is a term I’ve coined for a nutritional supplement program aimed at fortifying patients before surgery and accelerating their surgery recovery. I recommend it whenever a patient faces a surgical procedure. Since most of my patients are already taking supplements, they may only have to make some minor adjustments in their program.
Although there are some caveats to keep in mind, the right supplements can make a big difference in your surgery recovery, so before I tell you what supplements to take and when to take them as part of the surgery recovery process, I want to first cover three important requirements about these supplements.
Inform Your Doctor
Most supplements are not only safe for surgical patients but will actually aid in the surgery recovery process. However, some may not be appropriate. Thus, regardless of whether your surgery is major or minor, always tell your doctor what you’re taking well in advance of the day of the surgery. Incredibly, 70 percent of patients don’t disclose all the supplements they use.
A prime example comes from Joe, one of my longtime patients. Years ago, Joe needed to have an aortic valve replacement and bypass surgery. He was a keen supplement advocate and took a number of things that even I didn’t know about—including a great deal of garlic, volumes of vitamin E and a fair amount of fish oil.
Those supplements were good for him as natural anticoagulants. However, when you go in for surgery, you need your blood to clot—so the incisions won’t bleed after they’re sutured, promotingproper surgery recovery.
Joe didn’t tell me (or his surgeon) everything he was taking, so he experienced complications from excess bleeding and ended up needing an additional procedure to address the problem. He eventually recovered, but the lesson was learned. What he should have done is told me all the supplements he was using, so I could advise him when to stop taking certain ones.
Before Surgery: Stop Using Certain Supplements
In addition to the garlic, vitamin E and fish oil that Joe was taking, ginkgo biloba and aspirin should also be stopped due to their blood-thinning effects. However, unwanted bleeding isn’t the only concern. Some supplements can also interfere with anesthesia.
For instance, St. John’s wort may increase sedation when narcotics are administered. Further herbs singled out by anesthesiologists include ephedra (also called Ma Huang), feverfew, goldenseal, garlic, ginseng, ginger, licorice and valerian.
Because of possible problems, some physicians suggest stopping all supplements a week before surgery, though I’m a bit more lenient. In my experience, you’re okay to stop three days before, and then start up again three days after. Additionally, you might choose to consult with a nutrition-oriented physician who can customize a program for you before your surgery. Whatever you do, though, be sure to inform your doctors.
Other Things to Avoid: Alcohol and Certain Painkillers
I always tell my patients who are going in for major surgery involving general anesthesia to stop drinking alcohol a month before the operation. You need your liver operating optimally and, as you no doubt know, alcohol is toxic to the liver.
I also suggest staying away from acetaminophen (Tylenol), which has a toxic effect on the liver. In clinical studies, this over-the-counter painkiller has been associated with unexplained liver failure. If you rely on painkillers, check with your doctor for any pre-operation advice.
My Power Healing Program
My recommended Power Healing supplements can be found at most health food stores. Remember, for optimal surgery recovery, stop taking the supplements about three days before surgery because of the potential for certain nutrients, particularly herbs, to interact with anesthesia and medication. Except where noted below, you can start your supplements again, three days after surgery.
Pre- and Post-Surgery
- Take a high-quality multinutrient as part of your daily routine before and after surgery. Choose one that contains 25 to 50 mg of the B complex vitamins.
nutraMetrix® Isotonix® Multivitamin is an isotonic-capable food supplement containing 100 percent or more of the daily value of essential vitamins and minerals. There are wide varieties of vitamin and mineral supplements on the market today. Only Isotonix Multivitamin contains a unique blend of complementary vitamins and minerals with the superior delivery of Isotonix. nutraMetrix Isotonix Multivitamin supplements dietary deficiencies and helps maintain normal metabolic functioning.
- Surgical trauma (particularly from cardiac surgery) causes an increase in free radicals, which disrupt and damage cellular function. For this reason alone, you should take at least 50 mg of CoQ10 as part of your daily routine before surgery, and 100–200 mg per day for at least four weeks during surgery recovery.
nutraMetrix® Heart Health™ Advanced Co-Q10 is a nutrient that plays a vital role in health maintenance. It contributes to a healthy cardiovascular system, periodontal health, maintenance of normal blood sugar levels, maintenance of cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, sustaining vitamin E levels in cell membranes, energizing the immune system and proper weight maintenance.
- Because surgery depletes your body of vitamin C, take 500–1,000 mg as part of your daily routine before surgery and 1,000 mg three times a day after surgery. Return to your usual dosage after two weeks.
nutraMetrix® Isotonix® Vitamin C provides superior delivery of the nutrients your body needs in the most cost effective way. According to researchers at the University of Leeds, Guy’s Hospital in London, Baylor University and the Mayo Clinic, among others, have shown that not only do isotonic solutions leave the stomach faster, but also that the osmotic pressure of the stomach contents is one of the controlling mechanisms for the rate at which the stomach empties, leading to more efficient assimilation by all of the body’s systems. The liquid composition of Isotonix Vitamin C Formula places the vitamins and minerals in an optimal position for absorption and superior delivery to the body’s systems.
- Numerous studies indicate that vitamin C helps prevent surgical shock and post-surgical bed sores, and that it significantly speeds healing time. It’s also necessary for the production of collagen—a basic structural protein used in wound repair.
- Begin taking milk thistle a month before surgery, and then continue for a month after (follow label instructions for dosage). This wonderful herb protects, rejuvenates and repairs the liver. General anesthesia and other medications used during and after surgery are exceptionally hard on the liver, so anything you can do to protect this vital organ will be a big plus for your surgery recovery.
Timeless Prescription™ Oxygen Extreme is a combination of vitamins, minerals and special herbs (including Milk Thistle) in capsule form that helps protect our body from the negative effects of free radicals. Timeless Prescription Oxygen Extreme counteracts seven known species of free radicals.
- Increase your zinc intake to 30–50 mg for two weeks before and two weeks after surgery, using zinc picolinate. Zinc is critical to wound healing, and surgery or trauma can decrease the level of zinc in your body.
nutraMetrix® Istonix® Multi-Mineral The Isotonix delivery system assures the most unique way for your body to absorb the daily vitamins and minerals that it needs. This delivery system allows the vitamins and minerals to be rapidly absorbed into your body. Isotonix food supplements, when mixed with water, have the same pH and osmotic pressure as the body’s fluids, such as tears, plasma or blood. When an isotonic substance enters the body, it is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. This is the epitome of superior delivery.
- Start taking a probiotic supplement two weeks before surgery, and continue using it for at least a month afterward—or, better yet, indefinitely. Choose a strain that contains acidophilus and bifida bacteria (follow label instructions for dosage). Surgical patients often receive oral or intravenous antibiotics in the hospital, which creates the potential for fungal disorders (including yeast infections), digestive disturbances and diarrhea. A probiotic can help counteract these problems, promoting surgery recovery.
nutraMetrix® Nutriclean® Probiotics promotes healthy digestion by providing beneficial bacteria to recolonize and balance the GI tract, and hinder the growth of harmful, toxic bacteria, while also promoting a healthy immune system. nutraMetrix Nutriclean Probiotics provides 10 different strains and 10 billion active probiotic organisms. Each strain has a unique purpose, and the strains work synergistically to impact numerous areas of health, from immunity to stomach comfort and bowel regularity.
Also After Surgery
- Take 250 mg of vitamin B6 twice a day for a week, starting three days after surgery. This nutrient helps reduce post-surgical fluid retention, such as swelling of the face, hands, feet or legs. The swelling usually takes two to four weeks to go down. With B6, you can experience substantial reduction within 24 to 48 hours.
nutraMetrix® Isotonix® Activated B-Complex delivers metabolically active forms of several vitamins and minerals in isotonic form, ensuring that your body receives and uses vital nutrients quickly and efficiently. B-vitamins can provide you with a number of health benefits, however, some B-vitamins, such as B6, B12 and folic acid, must undergo chemical changes before they can be utilized by the body. Furthermore, different factors, such as age and physical condition, may affect the body’s ability to activate vitamins on its own. If the non-active forms are used, the body is forced to work harder to gain the full benefit of the vitamin. These steps are eliminated when the forms used are already in their active states. By utilizing both the activated form of these vitamins, as well as the superior Isotonix delivery system.
- To reduce inflammation, take 2,000–3,000 mg of omega-3 fish oil per day for two weeks after surgery. You can then go to a maintenance dosage of 500–1,000 mg per day. If fish oil is already part of your daily routine, be sure to stop taking it five days before surgery, since it can promote blood thinning and increase bleeding during surgery.
nutraMetrix® Heart Health™ Essential Omega III Fish Oil with Vitamin E is a superior product due to a number of factors. The best fish are used to produce a clean and safe product that is rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). It also contains 3000mg of fish oil where most other commercial products contain a third of the total fish oil contained in nutraMetrix Heart Health Essential Omega III. nutraMetrix Heart Health Essential Omega III comes from small fish where other competitive products use large fish which are more likely to accumulate toxins.
- Take bromelain on an empty stomach for two weeks after surgery (follow label instructions for dosage). This formidable pineapple enzyme supplement helps prevent blood clots, aids the liver and digestion and decreases inflammation and pain after surgery—all vital to surgery recovery. It also helps to remove protein debris that form at trauma sites.
Isotonix nutraMetrix Bromelain Plus promotes your body’s immune system and inflammatory response, helping support the body’s normal ability to heal itself on a cellular and muscular level.*
- Another supplement to relieve pain and inflammation is the homeopathic remedy Arnica 30C. Take one pellet four or five times a day for up to two weeks after surgery.
I highly recommend following this Power Healing program to maximize the surgery recovery process. Not only will you be able to recuperate faster, so you can get back to the enjoyable task of living each day to your full capability, you’ll also be able to make it through your surgery recovery more easily.
One last thing: Whenever I make extensive supplement recommendations such as this, people always ask for my top three choices if they couldn’t—or didn’t want to—take everything. In this case, here’s what I recommend at a minimum:
- Multinutrient formula
- Vitamin C
- CoQ10
