How Should Postoperative Patients Supplement Their Nutrition to Recover Faster?

Repair of a surgical wound relies mainly on a cell called the fibrocell (fibroblast). As the name suggests, the main function of fibroblasts is to synthesize fibers. After an injury or surgery, a ring of proliferating connective tissue forms around the wound or incision, promoting healing; this proliferating connective tissue is formed from fibers synthesized by fibroblasts.

Fibroblasts are the most numerous and principal cells in loose connective tissue and are often attached to collagen fibers. They are rich in rough endoplasmic reticulum and a well-developed Golgi apparatus. The rough endoplasmic reticulum is where proteins are made, and the Golgi apparatus is the protein-processing plant, which processes the proteins produced by the ribosomes on the rough endoplasmic reticulum into the various proteins the body needs.

When fibroblasts synthesize fibers, the two most essential ingredients required are the body's essential amino acids and vitamin C. Essential amino acids are mainly obtained from food. Postoperative patients need strengthened nutrition and can eat more high-protein foods, such as various meats, eggs, fish, and legumes; these foods already contain the various amino acids our body needs, so there is no need to buy extra nutritional supplements.

Only in a vitamin C environment can fibroblasts more efficiently synthesize fibers from the body's amino acids. Therefore vitamin C is very important for postoperative patients, and supplementing vitamin C can promote wound healing. In patients with insufficient vitamin C intake, wound healing will be very slow. Vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamin C and can be taken in moderation; patients can also supplement vitamin C by taking oral vitamin C tablets. Vitamin C is not a high-end product; the cheapest vitamin C tablets made by a regular pharmaceutical factory will do, and there is no need to pursue expensive products.

But note that various canned foods basically contain no vitamin C, regardless of whether their nutrition labels claim a high vitamin C content. Because vitamin C is not heat-stable, above 80 degrees Celsius the molecular framework of vitamin C no longer exists. Canned goods must undergo high-temperature, high-pressure processing during production, so the production process makes it impossible for canned products to be rich in vitamin C. Thus, to supplement vitamin C, the best way is to eat fresh fruit, cucumbers, and the like, rather than relying on canned food.

Clinicians basically do not recommend that postoperative patients take nutritional supplements or health products to promote wound healing, so asking a doctor which health products can help a patient's wound recover is pointless.

If a patient has had gastrointestinal surgery and cannot obtain nutrition through food, vitamin C and amino acids should be supplemented by intravenous infusion; in this situation the patient also cannot take oral nutritional supplements.

If a surgical wound fails to heal for a long time after surgery, it may be due to an underlying disease (such as diabetes) or a poor wound environment (such as infection). If wound infection has occurred, the infection should be controlled. If an underlying disease is impairing wound healing, corresponding treatment measures targeting that disease should be taken to promote healing. In severe cases, growth factors or resuturing may be considered.

A postoperative wound with infection usually shows redness, swelling, pain, and fever. At this time, anti-infective drugs should be taken under a doctor's guidance; high-fat and high-sugar foods are strictly forbidden, and the diet should stay light.

Do postoperative patients need to take Chinese herbal tonics to regulate their bodies? Usually not, unless there is an indication for medication—such as obvious symptoms, or certain health indicators that do not meet standards and cannot be improved through diet. Patients in the perioperative period should strictly avoid Chinese herbal medicine, to avoid unforeseen complications.

The perioperative period includes three phases: preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative. Five to seven days before surgery, seven to twelve days after surgery, and the operation itself all fall within the perioperative period. The perioperative period is a very critical stage whose core goal is to ensure surgical safety, reduce operative risk, and promote postoperative recovery. Personally, I generally advise against taking excessively harsh Chinese herbal preparations for a month and a half after surgery, such as blood-activating stasis-resolving herbs or "attacking poison with poison" herbs, because using such medicines during this period carries safety risks.