Surgical Nutrition and Supplement Guide

Preoperative Nutrition

The most important thing to understand about nutrition, both before and after surgery, is that your body needs to be in an anabolic, or “building” phase. While many people seeking plastic surgery are used to keeping a strict, low-calorie diet, it is important not to restrict calories from around two weeks prior to surgery to one month after surgery. We do not encourage eating unhealthy foods, but eating a well-balanced, high protein, and high fiber diet while drinking plenty of fluids. Our general diet recommendations are as follows:

• Approximately 1g protein per pound of body weight per day
• 20-25g of fiber per day
• 3 Liters of water with electrolytes per day
• 2-3 servings of fruits and vegetables per day

Most people will require protein supplements to reach their goal. Drs. Park and Rebowe recommend the Whey Protein Isolate protein supplement. Similarly, it can be difficult to take in the proper amount of electrolytes without accompanying sugar. It is best to limit sugar spikes before and after surgery, therefore we recommend Catalyte electrolyte supplement to be added to tap or bottled water.

Many patients find it helpful to begin their laxatives about 3 days prior to surgery. Beginning this regimen before surgery helps to prevent postoperative constipation.

Postoperative Nutrition

Days 1-3:

Immediately post-op you may find it difficult to resume your typical diet. It is normal to have some mild nausea or decreased appetite. Because of this, we recommend supplementation with either protein shakes or meal replacement shakes. During the early post-op days, the most important thing is hydration. Continue drinking fluids with electrolytes. It is also very important to be taking Senna, Miralax, Colace, or other laxative, as it can be very difficult to continue appropriate fiber intake immediately following surgery.

Day 3 to 1 Month:

After the first few days, it is best to resume your diet with the same protein, fiber, and electrolyte recommendations as your preoperative diet. You may find it helpful to continue your laxative regimen during this time until you are off opioid pain medication as they sometimes cause constipation.

Nutritional Supplementation

In addition to protein and electrolyte supplements, vitamin supplementation is critical both before and after surgery. In general, taking a methylated multivitamin is best to ensure appropriate amounts of all minerals. It is important to find a vitamin with necessary amounts of all micronutrients, in particular selenium, Vitamin C, and Zinc. The multivitamin we recommend, Basic Nutrients 2/Day has all the essential ingredients.

If you have other nutritional considerations such as surgical weight loss patients or those with other comorbidities, additional supplementation such as Vitamin D, Iron, and/or Collagen may be recommended based on your preoperative lab values. Your surgeon will discuss this with you in more detail.

Supplements to reduce bruising and swelling can greatly enhance both recovery time and comfort. Both Arnica Montana and Bromelain with Quercetin have been shown to reduce bruising. Bromelain is taken by mouth, while Arnica can be used both by mouth and as a gel. It is important to note that while there are no definitive studies to show either to be completely effective, both have been shown to be safe. At a minimum, we recommend a Bromelain with Quercetin supplement named Quercetin Complex.

While there is not one “best” supplement company, we have partnered with Thorne to provide our patients a streamlined way to find all of the recommended supplements mentioned above. Thorne is an award winning nutritional supplement and testing organization who offers high quality nutrients to help you reach optimum healing and obtain your goals.

Please utilize this link https://www.thorne.com/u/PR1516822 to access the Park and Rebowe Clinic storefront where you can purchase the recommended supplements and vitamins.