There are a lot of benefits from establishing healthy habits. One of these benefits is having fewer complications both during and after surgery. If you’re scheduled to undergo surgery in the upcoming months, you can lower your risk of problems by establishing these healthy habits now:
- Eat healthy
A healthy diet before surgery is important. Surgery puts stress on the body, triggering inflammation and depleting nutrients. When this happens, the immune system may be impaired and this can increase the risk of post-operative complications. Eating the right types of healthy foods keeps your body well-nourished, which means that your body is better equipped to handle surgery. A healthy diet can also help to promote a faster healing and recovery period. - Exercise
Obesity is a risk factor for surgery-related complications. It can prolong operation time, leads to more intraoperative blood loss, and increases the risk of post-operative infections.
Coupled with the right diet, regular physical activity prior to surgery can help in getting rid of excess weight and consequently, reduce the risks of post-operative complications. - Quit smoking
Smoking increases your risk of complications during and after surgery. Research has shown that quitting smoking 4-6 weeks before your surgery and staying smoke-free 4 weeks after it can reduce your risk of wound complications significantly. - Cut back on alcohol intake
Some studies have shown that excessive drinking can have an impact on the surgery outcome. It can interfere with the functioning of the immune system, increasing your risk of suffering from surgery-related complications. It can also put the endocrine system’s stress response into overdrive, which only exacerbates any existing health problems. Plus, if you already have problems with blood clotting, excessive alcohol intake can make it worse. It can increase your risk of bleeding and slow down your wound healing.
Establishing these habits before your surgery generally can help to decrease your chance of having post-operative complications, and increases the chance of a successful surgery and timely healing.
At Premier Surgical in Knoxville, we make sure that our patients have a greater chance of success after their procedure. Our experienced, board-certified surgeons carefully assess patients and brief them on what to do in preparation of and what to expect before, during, and after surgery.