b'Optimizing your nutrition status for a successful surgeryThe prospect of surgery can seem daunting to anyone, butMEND has published multiple studies with leading the good news is that you can perform simple steps beforeorthopedic hospitals and research organizations showing surgery to set yourself up for a better surgical outcome.that nutritional supplementation before and after Joint One aspect of health that can have a major impact onReplacement surgery helps preserve muscle and improve post-surgical complications is nutrition status.patient outcomes.More specically, getting enough nourishment before andSimilarly, a study done in Australia found that the length of after surgery helps prevent complications. Research showsstay after surgery was signicantly longer for that malnutrition is actually very common among certaingastrointestinal cancer patients with poor nutritional groups of patients before surgeryas many of 50% ofstatus (15.8 days) compared with those with well-nourished patients enter surgery malnourishedand proper nutritionstatus (7.6 days). The authors concluded that a poor status is often overlooked amidst the many other concernsnutritional status before surgery as well as inadequate before an operation.post-operative nutrition support were associated with worse clinical outcomes. Other physicians have noticed the long-term benets of adequate nutrition status: Dr. Ralph Venuto, also an orthopedic surgeon, nds that well nourished patients recover better and in less time. In fact, clinical protocols have been written to help healthcare providers assess, recognize, treat, and prevent malnutrition in surgical patients. These protocols are based on a set of key tenets focused on minimizing the risk of post surgical complications related to malnutrition. Some of the tenets of these guidelines include:It should come as no surprise that a well-nourished body is better equipped to tackle the challenge of an operation. Avoiding long periods of fasting before surgeryAny surgical procedure can take its toll on the body. The Starting oral feeding as soon as possible after surgeryoperation itself leads to inflammation and metabolic Starting nutrition therapy early (as soon as nutrition risk stress response. Patients lean on existing nutritionbecomes apparent). reserves to manage the demands of surgery and to activate the recovery process. If nutrition reserves areMany of these tenets also serve to encourage the body to already low or at zero and there is poor eating after aget back to doing what it is meant to do: chew, swallow, surgery, the body may start breaking down existingand digest solid foods. muscles and tissue for energy to support the healing process. Multiple reports have shown the negative effectsWhile each patients physician is best equipped to provide of protein and calorie decits in patients who haveguidance on unique nourishment needs, anyone undergoing undergone surgery and are critically ill.surgery should have an understanding of the nutrition component of their recovery.In addition, recent studies from Dr. Neil Sheth at Penn Medicine and Drs. Atul Kamath and Bridget Ellsworth atMEND was built on this premisethat your body needs Cleveland Clinic each show a direct association betweenhigher nutrient demands during trauma from surgery, injury, low serum albumin (an indicator of malnutrition) andor aging. Visit www.mend.me to learn more. increased complications after joint replacement surgery.Malnutrition before surgery is associated with longer hospital stays and longer recovery period. According to Dr. Robert Marx, an orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery, there is growing evidence that nutrition can enhance both the quality of healing and the time needed for healing.06'