5 tips for faster recovery after your surgery

How do you prepare for surgery to make the best possible recovery? Are you considering surgery or have you scheduled an operation? Then it is important to prepare your body as well as possible for the operation and perhaps even more importantly, the recovery. The better you take care of your body, the faster and fitter you will feel afterwards. Recovery will be faster and finer. Skin + Surgery Clinics shares 5 essential tips for a faster recovery after your surgery.

Boost your resistance with healthy food

A healthy lifestyle is something positive for both your physical and mental condition. This is because good nutrition makes your body and brain function better, which will improve your performance and also help you recover faster. Supplements are a nice addition to a healthy diet to get the necessary vitamins and minerals. Before surgery, it is also important that your body gets enough fluids. Fluid helps with the absorption of nutrients in the intestines, the transport of food and waste products and maintaining the right body temperature.

Before surgery, it is therefore also definitely advisable to be aware of what you consume. When this is still new to you it seems very far away, we recommend starting with small steps. Above all, do not think of it as a diet and try to challenge yourself to make food changes. Think of a banana instead of a gingerbread or a bowl of nuts instead of a bowl of crisps. Small steps will make a big difference later.

Eat protein-rich meals

Proteins are made up of essential amino acids that ensure your muscles get the right nutrition which is conducive to your recovery. We recommend paying extra attention to your diet at least a week to 2 weeks before your operation. Here you can think of meat, fish, eggs but also nuts, beans, mushrooms and kale are very protein-rich.

Avoid refined sugars

Try to eat as few refined sugars as possible before surgery. This can make your sugar levels rise, increasing your blood pressure. Sugars can also suppress immune functions, increasing the risk of complications.

It is common knowledge that refined sugars don't actually do anything positive for our bodies; of course, a piece of chocolate is delicious on occasion. We may also spoil ourselves sometimes. The moment you eat refined sugars like chocolate or sweets, your body experiences a real 'sugar kick', making you feel more energetic. Unfortunately, this is short-lived and your body will again ask for those very sweet sugars to get that peak moment again. Did you know that refined sugars can even be addictive?

Stop smoking

Of course, it is nothing new that smoking is not conducive to your health. Therefore, if you have scheduled an operation, we also recommend smoking at least 4 weeks before your operation until 4 weeks after your operation. Constituents such as carbon monoxide and nicotine have a strong effect on your heart function and blood circulation. Smoking affects the tiny hairs that carry dirty substances out of your lungs. It also affects your immune system, increasing the risk of complications, which we naturally want to keep as low as possible.

Did you know that after a few hours (when you stop) your body loses like toxins so it starts to cleanse itself which improves circulation? The human body continues to improve and repair itself. The longer you stop before surgery, the lower the risk of complications.

Exercise enough

A healthy body can tolerate much more. When you are in good shape, your heart works optimally, pumping blood and oxygen more easily. After surgery, you will feel fitter and your body will recover faster. Sufficient exercise is of course a broad concept and you do not have to think directly about heavy strength training. A bit of cycling, running or walking will also improve your mitochondrial function. A good indicator is when, while moving, you can still hold a conversation and experience nausea or shortness of breath.

Free advice

Do you have any questions based on our blog or would you like more information on how best to prepare for your surgery? Our specialists will be happy to help you and provide appropriate advice based on your needs to best prepare for your surgery and the recovery period. We look forward to welcoming you to our clinic in The Hague or Bergschenhoek (Rotterdam). You can contact us by phone at 070 - 200 20 70 (available daily until 10pm)