It’s important that you work to get a healthy amount of vitamins and minerals every day, but that importance only increases if you’ll soon be undergoing a surgical procedure. Dr. Silverman and his team always work with patients to ensure they understand how crucial it is that they increase their vitamin intake, and we even provide recommendations for supplementation so that patients can up their vitamin intake prior to surgery. In today’s blog, we talk a little bit more about that regimen and take a look at a recent study that backs up the assertion that vitamin intake before and after surgery is important.
Foot Surgery And Vitamin Intake
A recent study decided to take a look at the onset of a condition known as complex regional pain syndrome after a foot or ankle procedure. While the specific cause of CRPS is unique to the individual, it’s typically caused by damage to peripheral sensory neurons that relay pain signals to the brain. Misfiring neurons can make the brain believe its in pain when there shouldn’t be a pain response.
Vitamin C has been reported to be helpful in preventing CRPS in the wake of elective surgery. Study authors decided to test that hypothesis in regards to foot and ankle surgery. For the study, researchers conducted a randomized study involving 329 patients undergoing foot or ankle surgery. One group took vitamin C supplements after ankle surgery, while the control group did not.
After looking at the data, vitamin C was statistically linked with a decreased risk of CRPS compared to those in the control group. Conversely, alcoholism and cast immobilization were associated with an increased risk of CRPS. Researchers concluded that taking one gram per day of vitamin C during the 40 days following foot or ankle surgery helped to reduce the risk of CRPS onset.
The findings are not earth shattering, but they do give even more credence to the idea that vitamin intake before and after a surgical operation can help reduce the risk of complications or post-op issues. We have been recommending a specific regimen of vitamins for patients to take both before and after surgery to help ensure their body can draw upon healthy nutrients, and this study just provides further proof that this regimen is helpful for our patients.