If you have an upcoming surgery, the thing that may be on your mind is how to best prepare for surgery. You can do several things in the waiting period of days, weeks, or even months up to your surgery that can lead to the best outcome. Here are some tips to keep in mind to be as healthy as possible before your scheduled surgery date.
Eat clean
This may seem obvious, but not many people genuinely think about this. Eating fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins and minerals in the days before your surgery can lead to lower inflammation afterward. Not only that but avoiding things like processed foods and red meat are also incredibly important.
Make sure to exercise
Besides the more common benefits of exercising regularly, making sure to get a good amount of exercise before surgery can increase the chances of walking sooner after the surgery has taken place. Even if it’s doing something like walking more, shooting between 5 and 10 thousand steps a day can increase your stamina and help your body reach that homeostasis after surgery.
Stop smoking and drinking
Before surgery, something that you can do uses the time to curb your smoking, drinking, or recreational substance usage. Before your surgery, the use of alcohol and cigarettes has been known to affect anesthesia. Instead, you could use things that occupy your mind, such as meditation, prayer, or mindfulness activities.
Ask your doctor about medications
It’s essential to ask your doctor about your current medications because they may want you to stop taking them weeks before your surgery. Some medicines can interact with others, for example, anticoagulants. Medications that affect bleeding like aspirin anti-inflammatory drugs such as Advil, Plavix, and Coumadin should be stopped before surgery. While this is generally discussed in the pre-op appointment, it’s important to ask your doctor about medications you may need to wean off of, just in case.
You can do several things to ensure that you’re in the best shape possible before surgery. Whether that’s eating as clean as possible, exercising, stopping bad habits, or asking your doctor about what medications to wean off of, there are things that you can do to make sure that your recovery goes as smoothly as possible.