A simple way to optimize recovery after surgery

Will you be having surgery?  Whether for a medical problem or for cosmetic reasons,  of course you hope for a quick and easy recovery!  Did you know that your nutritional status may play an important role in your post-operative recovery?

Poor nutrition, obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases can have a significant impact on surgical outcome and complications.   Deficiency of single nutrients can result in altered immune responses, even when the deficiency state is relatively mild!

Malabsorption of nutrients can result from a host of conditions, including:

• Bariatric surgery
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Lactose intolerance
• Celiac disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis
• Intestinal parasites and other infections

I commonly find nutritional deficiencies in my patients, even without any of the above medical problems.  

Do you have bloating, gas, indigestion, heartburn, constipation or diarrhea?  These are clues to digestive dysfunction.  If your digestive tract is not functioning optimally, you may not be optimally digesting and absorbing the nutrients in your food.   

Some very common causes of insufficient nutrient status include:

• poor dietary habits
• food allergies and intolerances, such as gluten
• low stomach acid (common in people over 50)
• pancreatic insufficiency
• leaky gut
• imbalances in the gut microflora
• toxic burden
• Bile salt deficiency, especially after gall bladder removal

Even if your GI tract health seems to be fine, the food available to us no longer contains as many nutrients as in the past due to processing and modern farming practices, and most americans have one or more nutrient deficiencies.

According to the NIH, the prevalence of digestive disorders known to cause an absorption deficiency is approximately 1 in 4 of the American population,

Malnutrition is associated with increased incidence of surgical complications and mortality.  Acta Chir Scand. 1988 Apr;154(4):249‐51

Nutrition deficiencies impede the normal processes that allow progression through stages of wound healing.  Malnourished patients are at higher risk than well nourished patients for:

• Delayed wound healing
• Inflammation and bruising 
• Infection

Nutrition in Clinical Practice, Vol. 25, No. 1 (2010)

A Solution - Nutritional IVs

By carefully administering a blend of nutrients essential to a speedy and healthy recovery, we can effectively reduce the number of surgical complications you may face.  Oral nutrition alone is not sufficient;  intravenous nutrition offers better bioavailability of nutrients for your metabolic needs.

Wound healing involves the deconstruction and restructuring of tissue and blood vessels.  If the raw ingredients and requisite energy stores to support this process aren’t available then an ordinarily straightforward process becomes hampered.

Here are some studies that showed postoperative complications are reduced with peri-operative nutrition:

1.  IV Nutritional supplementation in the period before and after surgery can have a significant impact on surgical outcome by:

• reducing bruising, swelling, and inflammation
• promoting wound healing
• enhancing immunity
• reducing oxidation generated by surgery and anesthetic agents

Aesthetic Surgery Journal Vol. 24, Issue 4, July‐August 2004

2.  A marked improvement in wound healing response has been shown in most surgical patients receiving postoperative nutritional care.  British Journal of Surgery Volume 74 Issue 4, 8 Dec 2005

3.  Early nutrition therapy given to patients after surgery results in an important reduction in infectious complications.  Gut 1996;39:833‐835 58

Peri-operative IV nutrition offers a safeguard from the postoperative complications of insufficient nutrient status.   By direct and targeted delivery of a proven blend of vitamins and antioxidants to replenish cellular energy stores, we can help improve your odds for a healthy and rapid recovery.

If you have an elective surgery planned, and are interested in knowing more about whether Nutritional IVs may be beneficial for you, please contact us at questions@signaturewellness.org or call 704-752-9346.  Please visit our website  www.signaturewellness.org

Yours in Health

DrM

Miracle grow for your tissues?

During the past several years, much has been written about a preparation called platelet-rich plasma (PRP).

It has been used by famous athletes including Tiger Woods to help with more rapid healing from injuries including sprains and chronic tendon injuries.  It has also been used in race horses, in dentistry,  and in surgery to help improve the healing process.

Other uses for PRP are now available - including correcting incontinence, rejuvenation of the skin, stimulating hair re-growth, and restoring lift and fullness to breasts.

PRP for Stress Incontinence - the O Shot

Many women lose urine when laughing, coughing, or exercising.  This is called stress incontinence, and is caused by a weakening of the pelvic sphincter muscles due to the effects of childbirth or aging.

Until now we did not have good solutions, other than wearing a pad or having surgery.  The O-Shot has been a game changer in managing incontinence - it is non-invasive, simple, fast and relatively inexpensive, with virtually no risks. 

It starts with a simple blood draw.  Using a proprietary technique, the platelets are separated and the Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), containing growth factors, is extracted.  The PRP is injected into an area adjacent to the urethra.  The area is numbed prior to the procedure, so there is little to no discomfort.

The O-Shot activates stem cells in the localized region and these tissues are able to regenerate and improve their strength and ability to prevent urine flow.  In many cases, the incontinence may be completely resolved.  We have had patients who had been able to cancel surgery for their incontinence .

PRP for Skin rejuvenation - the Vampire Facelift

With age, your skin changes.  The color becomes more gray because of less blood flow, the shape of the face collapses as muscle and collagen decrease, and the skin texture becomes less smooth.  As a result, you look worn and tired. 

The Vampire Facelift offers a way of both restoring shape, and improving tone and texture, as well as literally rejuvenating new and younger tissue!   

The procedure involves using fillers such as Juvederm to restore shape followed by injecting growth factors (PRP) into the skin to help restore color and texture along with enhancing a normal shape.   The PRP activates stem cells in your skin to grow new collage, new fatty tissue (for smoothness) and new blood vessels (for a healthy glow).  The effects of the procedure improve for 2-3 months and last for at least 1 to 2 years.  

PRP for hair regrowth

Did you know that 40 percent of Americans with hair loss are women?  Hair loss can effect our self image, and in some cases can be very devastating to emotional health.  

While restoring hormone balance and nutritional status can help in some cases, it is not always enough.   PRP may be a good choice for women (and men!) with chronic hair thinning.  

The application of PRP stimulates the hair follicles to become healthier and larger, producing thicker, darker hairs with better scalp coverage.  

First, your blood is drawn and then specially processed to produce the PRP.  A local anesthetic is administered to numb the scalp treatment area. The PRP is then administered via a series of tiny injections in the required areas of the scalp or in areas such as the eyebrows or beard. Additional growth factors are then applied topically.

New hair growth can be seen as early as 2 months, but is typically evident between 5-8 months and will continue to improve up to a year after treatment. The addition of Laser Therapy (LaserCap) can enhance the outcome.

I am really excited about offering PRP to our patients.  This treatment honors the body’s intelligence and ability to heal itself, it does not disrupt hormone balance, does not contain chemicals, and offers great results.  

If you have an issue that may be helped with PRP and would like more information, please click here. To schedule an appointment please call at 704-752-9346 or email us at questions@signaturewellness.org.

Yours In Health, 

DrM