A cut above: kinder surgery; herbs, vitamins and stress reduction can help speed your recovery - Natural Remedies - includes related article about getting meatless meals in the hospital

Vegetarian Times, Sept, 1997 by Robert V. Wolf

Even the healthiest among us are sometimes confronted with an indisputable need for surgery. It could result from a life-threatening emergency: acute appendicitis or injuries sustained in a car crash, or it could be something less urgent such as torn knee ligaments.

For those who prefer to use natural medicine, the prospect of surgery can be more upsetting than for those who do not; after all, it means using conventional medicine at its most extreme. However, just because we find ourselves at the mercy of the scalpel doesn't mean we must feel entirely helpless. The surgeon may be in charge of the operating room, but as patients, we're in charge of a more important arena: our bodies. Even in the face of surgery, we can use a variety of natural means to reduce pre- and post-surgical stress, boost the immune system and speed healing. These measures, in turn, can help make the surgery experience more positive and raise the odds of a successful outcome.

Ideally, you will have ample time to prepare for your operation. However, even those who require immediate surgery can use the treatments that follow with a little hell) from family or friends.

NUTRITION COUNTS

Virtually all nutrients play at least some role in helping the body prepare for and bounce back from a trauma such as surgery, but some are more important than others. One study on vitamin A, for instance, showed that massive doses help maintain proper immune function. Other studies have shown that vitamin A helps speed wound healing, especially when the body faces extra stressors including diabetes or radiation treatments. Vitamin C aids in the production of collagen, a protein essential for wound healing. It also facilitates the delivery of leukocytes to the site of a wound, thus boosting immunity to infection. Zinc, too, is required for proper wound healing. It was used topically as far back as 1,5OO B.C. by the Egyptians, and to this day bandages often contain zinc oxide to help speed healing. It is also well-documented that people with zinc deficiencies experience delayed wound closure and an increased susceptibility to infection.

Alan Gaby, M.D., president of the American Holistic Medical Association and co-author of the monthly newsletter Nutrition and Healing, includes all the aforementioned nutrients in a protocol he recommends to patients headed for the operating room. "I inevitably hear from patients, `My surgeon never saw anybody heal so fast,'" Gaby says. He cautions, however, that anyone who decides to follow this protocol or take extra supplements do so only under medical supervision. Supplements can have a significant impact on your condition (some, for example, thin the blood or interfere with the absorption of medication) and it's therefore imperative that you consult your surgeon before taking anything.

Gaby suggests patients begin taking these supplements at least two weeks before surgery, then continue taking them for four weeks after the operation. The nutrients he recommends are: 25,000 international units (IU) of vitamin A a day; 1,000 milligrams (mg.) of vitamin C three times a day; 400 IU of vitamin E a day; and 30 mg. of zinc one or two times a day. In addition, Gaby says patients should take high-potency B-complex vitamin and multi-mineral supplements.

Gaby and other nutrition experts also recommend taking bioflavonoids; research has found them to be powerful anti-inflammatory agents that strengthen the integrity of tissue as it heals. There are more than 500 varieties of bioflavonoids, which occur naturally in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and leaves. Many varieties of bioflavonoids are available in supplement form; they are sometimes referred to as vitamin P. Don Brown, N.D., a naturopathic physician, who is editor of the journal Quarterly Review of Natural Medicine and author of Herbal Prescriptions for Better Health (Prima, 1996), recommends the bioflavonoid quercetin -- 500 mg. twice a day for several days before surgery and several days after.

Other nutrients to keep in mind are amino acids, the basic building blocks of proteins. According to Eric R. Braverman, M.D., in his book The Healing Nutrients Within (Keats Publishing Inc., 1987), studies have shown that branched-chain amino acids are in great demand when the body undergoes any kind of stress including surgery, injury and infection. Isoleucine, leucine and valine are all branched-chain amino acids; wheat germ and some cheeses are good dietary sources. Particularly good for wound healing, says Braverman, is the amino acid arginine (nuts, eggs, milk and cheese contain high concentrations of this). Cysteine, methionine and proline aid in wound healing as well.

Many nutrition experts recommend bromelain, an extract from pineapple, which Ron Reichert, N.D., a contributor to the Quarterly Review of Natural Medicine, calls the "best thing" to promote wound healing. Bromelain contains a high concentration of the enzyme protease, a known anti-inflammatory agent. If you take bromelain supplements, look for a tablets that contain at least 1,200 gelatin digestive units (GDU) or 1,600 milk clotting units (MCU), Reichert says, noting that anything lower may lack sufficient potency. (GDU indicates that a product may contain gelatin -- a substance derived from animal sources. Some companies make bromelain using agar-agar or another plant product; the label will state whether the product is vegetarian. Products with the MCU designation contain dairy.) He also cautions patients not to take bromelain immediately after surgery because it can increase bleeding time; wait at least 24 hours and then take 400 mg. to 600 mg. a day for 10 days, preferably in three separate doses between meals. Another warning: People who have ulcers or know that they are allergic to pineapple should not take bromelain.