Going In For Reconstruction Surgery — How to prepare

Many people are often scared of surgery because they don’t know what to do. Professionals like Gordon Slater have a lot of experience in conducting foot surgeries. He is an Australian orthopedic surgeon who specializes in Minimally Invasive Foot Surgery. His special interests include ankle surgery, arthroscopy, sports injuries, and foot surgeries. If you have to prepare for surgery, you might want to follow a few tips from Gordon.

Take care of yourself physically: the patient has already spent a good part of her physical strength in the fight against the foot injury. Now, reconstructive surgery will be a new source of fatigue for your body. Therefore, it is convenient to invest in everything that helps the body to prepare for the operation and recover better, such as:

· Eat in a balanced way like non-fat proteins, fruits, and vegetables).

· Drink abundant water.

· Increase the consumption of foods with iron such as liver, legumes, tofu, or meat and natural juices with vitamin C that help absorb iron.

· Avoid caffeinated drinks that block the absorption of iron and alcohol.

· Practice moderate exercise (walking) half an hour a day.

· Take a vitamin complex with minerals and sleep 8 hours a day.

· It is likely that during this period, the anesthetist recommends taking some type of nutritional supplement, especially iron and folic acid.

Prepare emotionally: relaxation exercises, yoga, or talks can help reduce stress. According to numerous studies, patients who prepare for surgery tend to experience less pain and recover more quickly. In addition, it should be remembered that the lack of information can increase anxiety, so it is recommended that the patient contact her surgeon again to ask any questions or clarify any concept she has forgotten.

Quit smoking: it is essential to quit tobacco at least 6 weeks before reconstruction and 4 weeks after it.

Avoid some medications: some medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen impair blood clotting and, therefore, should be avoided in view of any surgery. It is also recommended to discontinue hormone replacement therapies. In any case, it will be the surgeon who alerts the patient of what specific products they should abandon and for how long they should do so. Even if the patient consumes any supplement or natural product such as herbal teas or herbal preparations, she should consult her doctor to avoid possible negative effects. This is important before the foot reconstruction surgery takes place.