05/02/2018
Many people ask after surgery if there is anything they can do to speed up or healing. Besides time and compliance to your treatment plan, also plays a role.
An orthopedic procedure can place immense stress on the body’s metabolism. A well-balanced and nutritious diet becomes indispensable for proper tissue growth, repair and speedy recovery.
This is a list of the top nutrients that act as building blocks during the post-operative period. Consuming adequate amounts of these nutrients aids a quick and healthy recovery. Most of these nutrients can be easily obtained from food that we regularly consume.
1. Protein
Protein has shown to attenuate bone loss, reduce the probability of post-surgical infections and increase bone mass.
Recommended intake:
1 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram body weight
2. Calcium
Calcium acts in synergy with protein for bone formation.
Recommended intake:
600-1,000 milligrams of calcium a day
3. Vitamin D
Vitamin D works with Calcium to promote bone health, helping our body absorb and utilize calcium.
Recommended intake: 800-1000IU/day
4. Vitamin C
Vitamin C boasts of antioxidant properties and hence is an integral part of our body’s immune function, especially wound healing. Vitamin C also helps in collagen synthesis, which is required for repairing tendons, ligaments and healing other surgical wounds.
Recommended intake:
500 mg/ day x 50 days or 1000mg 5 days before surgery and continue that dose for 1-2 × weeks after
5. Zinc
Zinc has been shown to aid wound healing, unite bone fractures and prevent osteoporosis due to its role in collagen synthesis.
Recommended intake: 50mg 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after
6. Omega 3
Omega 3 fatty acids are known for their anti-inflammatory properties and their role in bone formation. DHA and EPA found in fatty acids have shown to aid bone formation and prevent bone loss. They also boast of anti-inflammatory properties that that protects against the disease causing agents of the bone.
Recommended intake: 2,000-3,000mg/day for two weeks after surgery
7. Probiotic and Fiber
Antibiotics given in the peri-operative period can cause natural stomach gut flora "good healthy bacteria" to get destroyed. Consuming a probiotic before and after surgery can help to rebuild the healthy flora in your stomach. Pain medications that are prescribed after the surgery can lead to digestive problems like constipation. As such fiber-rich foods along with drinking plenty of water can have a laxative affect that can help with constipation.
Please consult with your primary care physician prior to taking any dietary supplements. The doses are generalized recommendations but each person may have different nutritional needs based on food allergies, dietary restrictions, or other gastrointestinal absorption syndromes. The benefits of having a nutritionally balanced, or even "boosted" diet in the post-surgical period have been found to have benefits for faster and healthier recovery.
