Post-Op, with Dr. John V. Tedesco

As you are healing, your body will require more calories, more protein, and more vitamins than usual. You will feel run down if you are not getting enough nutrition. Surgery is not the time to be on a diet! So some easy things to help maximize your nutrition are to start taking a multivitamin, vitamin C, and zinc before and after your procedure and get some supplement shakes (Ensure, Boost, etc.) to help keep your nutrition up until you get your appetite back after anesthesia. This advice is especially important for bariatric patients who will really need to boost their nutrition around the time of surgery in order to prevent malnutrition.

Staying active, even as you wake up on the day of surgery, is the other most important thing to do while you are recovering. Activity minimizes the risks of complications such as blood clots in the legs, pneumonia, and more! Numerous studies also show that pain resolves quicker and people return to their normal activities faster in folks who are more active in the recovery period. This does not imply you need to hit the gym, but walking frequently, even if it’s simply taking laps around the couch, will significantly accelerate your healing and reduce the risk of complications.