A new study says that massive weight loss patients seeking body contouring should before surgery nourish themselves with supplements, in order to noticeably increase wound healing, enhance scar quality, decrease surgical complications, and even helps in boosting their energy level. This study was published in the Plastic and Reconstruction Surgery issue, which is the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). According to this study, use of supplements like multi-vitamins and power drinks are crucial for a successful body contouring surgery.
This particular study was performed in two parts: information on the effects of nutrition on healing was studied. The researchers then studied the wound and healing power of massive weight loss body contouring patients who did not have any supplements before their surgery. And also those patients were studied who had participated in a special nutritional supplementation program before their surgery.
The researchers noted that complications occurred in 66% of the patients who had not received any supplements prior to the surgery; as contrast to the reduced rate of 19% complications in the participants of the nutritional supplementation program.
Dennis Hurwitz, MD, ASPS Member Surgeon and also this study’s co-author says, “Body contouring procedures for massive weight loss patients are major operations with large incisions in many areas that demand a lot of the body during the healing process. By carefully monitoring nutritional deficiencies preoperatively and supplementing the patient with the necessary nutrients, minerals and vitamins, I have seen a significant decrease in complications and improved postoperative healing. In my practice, I won’t do body contouring procedures on this patient population without a preoperative regimen of nutritional supplements.â€
According to the study, since the massive weight loss patients have to control their diet and avoid over calorie intake, they are the one’s who usually suffer from malnutrition.
During this study, the researchers also made a note of the role that the various nutrients play in our body’s wound healing process. Vitamins A, B and C, proteins, iron, zinc, arginine, glutamine and selenium aid in wound healing, immune response and collagen production. Supposedly Vitamin B complex is said to invariably reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis.