Before/After Surgery
MzLazyBones
Posts: 63 Member
So, I have an upcoming knee surgery next month and I was talking to my surgeon about weight loss before the big day. He asked about the plan I'm on, so I told him, and he said "none of that the day before or three to four days following; carbs and lots of calories - your body will be in shock and it'll need it."
The energy part I get and I could easily tweak for the following days to put myself at maintain calories (or higher), but why would I need carbs? He said he wants me to have a cup of sugar water an hour before surgery, which sounds odd, but I'll do it if he thinks I should. But after, wouldn't lots of protein be enough to help me recover? Do I really need bread and pasta (he suggested both)?
The energy part I get and I could easily tweak for the following days to put myself at maintain calories (or higher), but why would I need carbs? He said he wants me to have a cup of sugar water an hour before surgery, which sounds odd, but I'll do it if he thinks I should. But after, wouldn't lots of protein be enough to help me recover? Do I really need bread and pasta (he suggested both)?
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I am not a doctor. That said, your doctor is not a nutritionist. He clearly doesn't understand anything but the dogma that glucose is required for energy.
I would never tell anyone to go against what their doctor says, but I have and will every time I know I have a better grasp on something than s/he does. The average doctor has less than a week of nutrition education. Many have less than a day.3 -
forum.lowcarber.org/archive/index.php/t-200180.html
Sounds like little has changed over the past 12 years.1 -
I agree that the advice sounds quite odd and unhealthy. I did not get this advice when I had knee surgery 2 years ago. Note that I was not eating LCHF or Keto at that time but the subject of nutrition never came up. The requirement was no food, no water after midnight. Will you be under anesthesia or fully awake? If you will be put under, I would ask that doctor (or better yet, the anesthesiologist) some serious questions about the sugar water drink recommendation.1
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I'm a veteran of 15+ orthopedic peocedures and other surgeries, and I've never been advised to eat anything before or after surgery.
If a surgeon told me to eat a pile of carbs before a procedure, I'm not sure what I'd say - but I jolly well wouldn't eat the bloody stuff!
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I just had surgery a couple weeks ago and I certainly was NOT advised to do that! I couldn't even have water after midnight, let alone anything with calories. My surgeon never said anything about needing extra energy. That seems odd.
That being said, I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV.2 -
No, no, I still need to fast the mandatory "nothing after midnight" (my surgery is taking place in the morning), but they're telling me that I need to go off-plan in the days surrounding the procedure - there are 16 hours before midnight on the day before, if I get up when I normally do, and at that time they're saying to go off plan and eat bread, etc. Then on the morning of, roughly one hour before, I need to drink a glass of sugar water. Then, during recovery, remain off plan for a few days.
It just sounds weird! This came from the surgeon, who then talked to the nurse, who then talked to me about it. I get that they want me to focus on recovery, but I feel less sluggish and *kitten* when I'm low carbing, so why not continue eating my happy proteins and fats, and just increase the calories a bit?0 -
Almost sounds like he wants your blood glucose to spike around the time of surgery. (might mean higher infection rate?
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Ask him to show you the data?1 -
MzLazyBones wrote: »He said he wants me to have a cup of sugar water an hour before surgery, which sounds odd, but I'll do it if he thinks I should.
For anesthesia, I thought they were always obsessed with the empty stomach? I am not a doctor, but this sounds nutty to me.
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MzLazyBones wrote: »No, no, I still need to fast the mandatory "nothing after midnight" (my surgery is taking place in the morning), but they're telling me that I need to go off-plan in the days surrounding the procedure - there are 16 hours before midnight on the day before, if I get up when I normally do, and at that time they're saying to go off plan and eat bread, etc. Then on the morning of, roughly one hour before, I need to drink a glass of sugar water. Then, during recovery, remain off plan for a few days.
It just sounds weird! This came from the surgeon, who then talked to the nurse, who then talked to me about it. I get that they want me to focus on recovery, but I feel less sluggish and *kitten* when I'm low carbing, so why not continue eating my happy proteins and fats, and just increase the calories a bit?
They pump you full of glucose during surgery, not sure why he thinks you need it before and after as well. I asked a couple of people if they had been told this before surgery, DH had hand surgery, a friend, knee replacement, nope, not a word about sugar water.
What you need are your electrolytes to deal with body stress, try a cup of sodium and potassium loaded water. That is what I would be doing in your shoes. I am not a dr. but I spend a lot of time doing research on nutrition.
Hope all goes well for you. Be gentle with yourself after the surgery, your body will need time to heal and recover, don't push it. If you put on a few pounds, you can get rid of them once the knee is fully functioning again.0 -
@MzLazyBones perhaps another member who's had some major surgery can help with this. If I remember correctly @Karlottap asked for something else to keep her low carb instead of glucose type drip. I hope she sees this in time. She is also in the Low Carber 50+ Ladies group. You could message her.2
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I have been party to two or three invasive ops. Never have I been advised what to eat before/after. In your shoes, (I echo @RalfLott) ask him on what verifiable and proven basis he is giving you that advice? Ask him, in other words, to provide proof that you should have a high carb intake.... But equally, be prepared to show him the data that states he's wrong. Which I'm totally convinced he is.
If a person is vegan, does he obligate them to eat cheese, eggs, dairy products or a side of ham? I very much doubt it.....2 -
When I had minor surgery on my little toe. I was told nothing to eat after dinner. (12 hour fast)
I was the first one worked on in the morning because of my diabetes.
There was a fear of me going low, but still no food till afterwards.
After my last hospital procedure (36 hour fast) they wanted me to drink juice &
munch cookies I had a great nurse who gave me a diet coke.
I had bacon & eggs on my way home.
or 
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