How To Support Recovery After Surgery

Last week, I walked into NYU Langone to have a team of vascular surgeons remove a golf ball sized carotid body tumor from the fork in my carotid artery.

No one really prepares you for what recovery looks like after you get out of surgery. Recovery is not always linear. Some days feel better. Other days feel like you got hit with a truck. It’s all part of the process. It takes time to get back to normal life again, and there’s no way around slowing down to give your body what it needs to repair itself.

The bottom line: recovery is a necessary part of getting better. What can we do to support ourselves before and after surgery so we can get back to it as quickly as possible? 

Planning for Upcoming Surgery

In the weeks preceding an operation, it’s important to be eating a quality, whole foods diet, and staying active, if possible. This is the time when we can cut back on sugar, refined foods, snacky junk foods, alcohol and smoking.

Post-op Recovery

How does the body deal with surgery? First comes inflammation. When we’re fresh out of surgery, specific cells rush to the incision, to lessen the bleeding and extra damage, similarly to firefighters rushing to a fire to help put it out. 

Around a week later, the body begins the “prep to rebuild” stage, for example, sending collagen and other materials so that healing can begin. After another week or so, the body begins to fill in with new tissue so that the wound can seal up. This process can take another week or two, and by this time, a wound should be closed. Even though the wound is closed, it may take months to a year for full recovery, for all the weird pains and spasms to go away.

Post-op recovery requires a lot of rest, and the feeling of fatigue is real. Don’t overdo it! Especially in the first few weeks, give yourself time for your body to recover -- all of your energy is being used to help mend a wound. Surgery increases energy, protein, and nutrient requirements, so we need to make sure we’re getting enough through quality whole foods -- and even then, we may need to supplement. 

Protein requirements increase after surgery or trauma. In the first few weeks after surgery, use the calculation below to see how much protein would be supportive. 

(WEIGHT IN LBS) ÷ 2.2 = ____  x 1.7 = ____ grams of protein/day 

FOR EXAMPLE: 126 ÷ 2.2 = 57.27 x 1.7 = 97 grams of protein/day

Vitamin C needs also increase. Vitamin C expedities wound healing. It’s involved in vascular tissue, capillary and collagen repair. We can find Vitamin C in our brassica vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussels, in our citrus fruits, as well as in cherries, peppers, guava, kiwi, leafy greens, papaya, potatoes, strawberries and tomatoes. If you’re eating your 6-10 servings of vegetables and 1-2 pieces of whole fruit daily, you may be getting enough vitamin C. Otherwise, 1000 mg of Vitamin C with bioflavonoids as a supplement may be helpful to make sure you’re hitting optimal levels.  

Vitamin E helps fight fatigue, which can be pretty intense in recovery. It’s involved with the oxygenation of tissues to help aid wound healing. Vitamin E can be found in leafy greens, whole grains, seafoods and seaweed, soybeans, organ meats, nuts, seeds, and nut and seed oils. Vitamin C and E work synergistically with selenium, so we should also up our intake of brazil nuts, walnuts, cottage cheese, eggs, and seafood. 

When we undergo surgery, our bodies require more energy. The vitamin B family is involved with energy synthesis, helping us turn the food we eat into energy. We can get B vitamins from whole grains, legumes, leafy greens, peas and animal protein. 

We can’t forget about zinc. This mineral aids in tissue repair, protein synthesis and collagen formation. Zinc can be found in sunflower and pumpkin seeds, shellfish, sardines, oats, eggs and red meat.

Sometimes, it may not be possible to eat whole foods at all right after surgery. I couldn’t take even a sip of water or juice without choking for a few days. Because I wasn’t able to eat whole foods, I used bone broth and smoothies to try to get my protein and nutrients up! What you’ll be able to eat right after surgery will depend on what type of surgery and from person to person. Do what feels right for you. 

Recovery is not only physical. There are a lot of emotions that come about after a surgery. People can feel violated and vulnerable. Depending on the surgery, it’s possible some might have body dysmorphia. It can be isolating to watch the world continue on, while you may not be able to get back to normal life as soon as you’d like. Depression and anxiety are normal reactions to a traumatic event such as surgery, so it’s important to feel supported by family, friends, or community so the focus can stay on healing. Seeking out a mental health care professional may also be beneficial.