8 Things You Should Know Before Surgery

1. Stop any medications and supplements that may cause an increase risk of bleeding 7-14 days before surgery. Fish oil, aspirin, NSAIDs (ibuprofen and naproxen) and other medications can cause an increase in bleeding risk. Discuss with your doctor before stopping any prescription medications. 

 

2.  Have lots of nutritious food prepared for recovery. I was on a liquid diet for a few days after surgery, so I had some pureed soups in the freezer ready for warming: butternut squash was my favorite. Living on macaroni and chicken broth is not the most nutritious way to recover from surgery – get some colorful food in there. 

 

3.  Follow all instructions you were given post-surgery.   Many times these will be written out so you can read them through in the days following surgery to make sure you’re doing everything you need to be doing. 

 

4.  Take any antibiotics or steroids exactly as prescribed. Consider taking probiotics, separated from the antibiotic by a few hours to protect the good bacteria in your gut. 

 

5.  Go easy on the pain medicines. Follow the instructions on the bottle, but don’t take more than you’re supposed to. Most instructions will say “as needed.” Remember pain medicines may cause drowsiness, shouldn’t be taken while drinking alcohol, shouldn’t be taken while driving and may cause constipation. 

 

6.  Check whether your pain medicine has acetaminophen or Tylenol in it. Ask your pharmacist if you’re not sure. If it does, be sure not to take too much acetaminophen. Maximum daily is 4000 mg from all medication sources including over the counter options.

 

7.  After surgery, if approved by your prescriber or surgeon, use ibuprofen or naproxen to help the pain, in addition to what other pain medications you’re given. Ibuprofen and naproxen are NSAIDs which can help decrease inflammation and swelling along with pain. They can be used with acetaminophen and many prescription pain relievers.  

 

8.  This is the biggest one of all: have 1 or 2 64 oz cans of unsweetened pineapple juice on hand, preferably in the refrigerator. Pineapple contains bromelain and papain, which are naturally anti-inflammatory. Drinking a whole can of juice in the first 12 hrs after surgery can help decrease the inflammation incurred by all that digging around to get those teeth roots out. It also tastes sweet and is quite refreshing. Beware; it is high in natural sugars so anyone with blood sugar issues may have to watch themselves a little closer. 

 

I wish you a quick and pain-less recovery! Please be sure to confirm all instructions with your healthcare professionals before and after surgery to ensure the best possible care.