When you are about to undergo surgery, you are usually given a pre-operation checklist for certain things to do or avoid as you prepare for your procedure. This can include things like a round of preemptive antibiotics, not eating certain foods or fasting 12-24 hours before your surgery, etc.

It’s important to take your surgeon’s advice while you’re preparing for your surgery. Not only are surgeons skilled enough to understand the science and anatomy behind these procedures, they are also experts in the science of healing. Nutrition is a key factor in repairing tissues affected by surgery, and starting a supplement regimen is a great way to make sure your body is optimized and ready to begin the healing process. Many surgeons realize that the typical American diet is short of necessary nutrients, vitamins, minerals and other building blocks for tissue healing; in these cases, supplements are necessary.

The healing process after your surgery centers on the building of collagen - which is the main component in many tissues, such as your skin, tendons, muscles, ligaments, cartilage, blood vessels, bone, and more. Basically, any tissue that can be affected by surgery - “surgically traumatized tissue” - needs collagen to rebuild. The production of collagen, and the overall healing process, happens in three stages after surgery:

• Inflammatory phase (up to 5 days): Right after surgery, the body forms a blood clot to stop bleeding. Infection-fighting cells and debris-cleaning cells are sent to the surgical site. Redness, swelling, and inflammation ensue.

• Proliferative phase (2 days - 3 weeks):Fibroblasts, specialized collagen-forming cells, start building tissue at the surgical site. There is still plenty of damaged tissue being removed and processed during this phase. This phase of healing is similar to the phase in building when a scaffold is up and the framing begins. Once the basic structure and materials for tissue healing have been created and placed into the region, the true healing may begin.

• Remodeling phase (3 weeks - beyond):Over time, the body slowly replaces the collagen that was initially formed at the surgical site with stronger collagen - to strengthen the tissue at the surgical site and promote better function over time. Bone is the only tissue that heals without scar; most other connective tissues heal with some level of scar formation. One of goals of supplements is to optimize the ability of the body to heal with more useful tissue and less scar.    

Without proper nutrition, this healing process can take longer and may even encounter complications. A balanced diet, including essential vitamins and minerals, is extremely important for your healing experience to go smoothly. This is why many surgeons will recommend a multivitamin or specialized supplement regimen before and after surgery.

The right amount and combination of supplements can greatly impact your surgical recovery in a positive way. But you shouldn’t start a supplement regimen without guidance.

While most supplements should be safe and beneficial to take as you’re preparing for surgery, there are some supplements that could actually harm your recovery process. For example, certain herbal supplements and over-the-counter drugs can reduce your body’s ability to clot the blood - an essential component of a smooth recovery. Other supplements can interact negatively with other medications your surgeon may recommend for your healing process.

Your doctor would be more than happy to recommend certain vitamins and minerals to promote healing and can tell you which supplements to avoid or discontinue while leading up to surgery. You should bring up supplements during your pre-op consultation to make sure there are no delays, as it can take a week or more for any medications to fully leave your system.

If your doctor prescribes many different vitamins and minerals, your pre- and post-op supplement routine can get expensive, and complicated, very quickly. It’s far easier to carefully choose an inclusive multivitamin and have your doctor confirm that none of the ingredients would interfere with your procedure.

In her years of practice, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Meredith Warner found herself prescribing many different supplements and multivitamins to help her patients prepare for surgery. She specializes in surgical procedures impacting the foot - which contains nearly one-fourth of all bones in the human body. The foot is a complex, flexible structure that contains bones, joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments… all working together to enable movement and balance.

For procedures as high-stakes as these, she believes that proper preparation is essential for ideal outcomes for her patients. This is why she created a multi to support the connective tissue in your body. It contains highly fortified ingredients ideal for pre- and post-surgery recovery, including Calcium Citrate, Magnesium Oxide, Full Spectrum Hemp Powder, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), Zinc Gluconate, and more.

One convenient daily serving has everything she recommends her patients take daily to promote surgical recovery and overall musculoskeletal health. Gain peace of mind before your procedure by using our breakthrough formulation that was completely designed for orthopedic conditions.

These ingredients work best together - while each is a necessary supplement on its own, together they pack a powerful punch.

• Hemp interacts naturally with your endocannabinoid system to add a long-lasting anti-inflammatory, tons of antioxidants and a pain-relieving component. Hemp provides essential fatty acids for healing as well.
• Magnesium Oxide also increases intracellular magnesium levels to reduce muscle cramps, fortifies the bones, and is essential for nerve and muscle function.
• Calcium Citrate helps promote healthy bone growth, integral to nerve signaling & muscle contractions
• Vitamin D3 aids in your body’s ability to absorb calcium and supports nerve health. Important to almost every human system. Vitamin D3 may also help to reduce pain.
• Vitamin C promotes proper collagen formation and helps with wound healing, supports the joints and contributes to healthy bones & teeth. Vitamin C is also great for circulation health; this is integral to healing after surgery as well.
• Zinc Gluconate is an awesome assistant for wound healing and connective tissue - and also promotes tissue growth and development. Zinc supports immune function as well.