Avoiding certain foods before top surgery

[makipu]

Prior to having top surgery I heard about stopping medications but I was not aware of also stopping certain foods?  Is this true with all surgeons?  I wasn't even searching for this question but I read it in this person's page:

https://soimmadudenow.wordpress.com/2012/11/09/list/

[King Malachite]

I don't believe all surgeons require this.  It might be best to ask the particular surgeon you want to go to if he/she has any food restrictions.

[aleon515]

The drugs are pretty standard, includes NSAIDs (aspirin, ibuprofen, etc) and drugs which have NSAIDS in them (it's a long list, because cold medications have aspirin in them often times) and herbal meds because less is known about their effects. I have seen garlic but that's quite a list. I am pretty sure I ate many things on that list, since they are favorite foods. Follow request of surgeon you go to. If it were a big deal, it could be a reason to deselect a surgeon.

--Jay

[Tysilio]

I've seen that list before, and I think it might be a bit excessive. Give up my dandelion root?? Never!

Horse chestnuts are not just inedible, they're poisonous, so, yeah, that's good advice not to eat them.

Eat the healthy diet that's recommended for us all -- whole grains, lots of veggies, plenty of protein. Avoid the bad stuff, don't drink or smoke...

I think what may matter the most is to get as fit as possible before the surgery; the people I know who've come through surgeries (of whatever kind) really well are the ones in the best shape. And for top surgery, you want the best pecs possible, so... lift.

[aleon515]

I'm with you. Actually upped the fruits and veggies (fresh and frozen). I'm also with you on that dandelion root, but I had surgery in October.

Yes, it's very excessive. I don't know of any one (else) asking for such a list. Hilarious about the horse chestnut.

--Jay

I've seen that list before, and I think it might be a bit excessive. Give up my dandelion root?? Never!

Horse chestnuts are not just inedible, they're poisonous, so, yeah, that's good advice not to eat them.

Eat the healthy diet that's recommended for us all -- whole grains, lots of veggies, plenty of protein. Avoid the bad stuff, don't drink or smoke...

I think what may matter the most is to get as fit as possible before the surgery; the people I know who've come through surgeries (of whatever kind) really well are the ones in the best shape. And for top surgery, you want the best pecs possible, so... lift.

[Tysilio]

Big "Yup!" to upping the fruits and veggies, Jay -- especially after surgery, for all that good healing stuff that's in them.  I don't much care about eating food that's supposed to make me a better person by virtue of its magic health-giving powers, but I do buy into the green veggies thing.

I eat good quality, "real" food because it tastes better. My partner is out even as I write this, picking up 3 doz. eggs from the nice lady with the hens in the next town over. Last night's tomato sauce was made from our own tomatoes, the mudroom is full of jars of the wild rice we harvested last fall, and the freezer in the garage still has gallon bags of the blueberries we picked. One of the guys in the family bakes bread for us all; he's just started milling his own flour from whole grains. We're not health nuts, just foodies.

Given the state of my "lawn," dandelion roots are no problem. 

[aleon515]

I don't have quite the freezer space ,but I try to eat the same way. Yes, it tastes better. I was in very good shape for surgery and I believe it was because I'm in good condition and eat a good diet.
I live in NM and my yard is scrub weeds and dirt.

--Jay

Big "Yup!" to upping the fruits and veggies, Jay -- especially after surgery, for all that good healing stuff that's in them.  I don't much care about eating food that's supposed to make me a better person by virtue of its magic health-giving powers, but I do buy into the green veggies thing.

I eat good quality, "real" food because it tastes better. My partner is out even as I write this, picking up 3 doz. eggs from the nice lady with the hens in the next town over. Last night's tomato sauce was made from our own tomatoes, the mudroom is full of jars of the wild rice we harvested last fall, and the freezer in the garage still has gallon bags of the blueberries we picked. One of the guys in the family bakes bread for us all; he's just started milling his own flour from whole grains. We're not health nuts, just foodies.

Given the state of my "lawn," dandelion roots are no problem. 

[Tysilio]

I live in NM and my yard is scrub weeds and dirt.

An excellent solution to the grass problem. I hate dealing with grass.

I'm working on convincing my neighbors that creeping charlie is an attractive ground cover, not a weed. 

[Obfuskatie]

  Some foods and herbs thin your blood.  Before you have an invasive surgery, it's very important that you don't have them in your system, because you will bleed a lot more.  It may be enough that they have to stop your surgery before they are completed with the original goals of the surgery in order to keep you from losing too much blood.
  If your going to spend thousands of dollars for surgery, listen to your doctor, and make his job easier.  The easier the surgeon's job is, the better the result will hopefully be.


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[aleon515]

This was NOT from his surgeon. The question from the OP asked if this was a normal thing. It is not. My surgeon who is very well known (Garramone) does not ask anybody to give up almonds, tomatoes, etc. I believe that they may (in VERY large quantities) thin the blood, but I believe it is probably dubious. I doubt most surgeons require this. However aspirin and other NSAIDs do have a known history in typical quantities. I commonly eat a lot of foods on this list, and didn't have any trouble whatsover. However, I did not take anything that he asked us not to take (herbs like garlic, in herbal quantities, not as a flavoring) or NSAIDs.

--Jay

  Some foods and herbs thin your blood.  Before you have an invasive surgery, it's very important that you don't have them in your system, because you will bleed a lot more.  It may be enough that they have to stop your surgery before they are completed with the original goals of the surgery in order to keep you from losing too much blood.
  If your going to spend thousands of dollars for surgery, listen to your doctor, and make his job easier.  The easier the surgeon's job is, the better the result will hopefully be.


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[Obfuskatie]

This was NOT from his surgeon. The question from the OP asked if this was a normal thing. It is not. My surgeon who is very well known (Garramone) does not ask anybody to give up almonds, tomatoes, etc. I believe that they may (in VERY large quantities) thin the blood, but I believe it is probably dubious. I doubt most surgeons require this. However aspirin and other NSAIDs do have a known history in typical quantities. I commonly eat a lot of foods on this list, and didn't have any trouble whatsover. However, I did not take anything that he asked us not to take (herbs like garlic, in herbal quantities, not as a flavoring) or NSAIDs.

--Jay

  The OP's list in the link is shorter than the list I got from Dr. Deschamps-Braly and Dr. Ousterhout for my FFS 6 weeks ago.  Almonds and Tomatoes didn't make my list either, but Garlic did, twice.  I managed to stay faithful to my list and still bled more than my surgeon expected.  They were able to finish, but ran about half an hour longer.  The added time caused my blood pressure to dip lower than they wanted and I was very dehydrated afterward.  If I hadn't followed the list, any additional issues would've probably compromised my ability to finish the surgery within safe parameters.

[makipu]

Thanks for the replies, it's good to see what other surgeons are like. It's kind of too bad because I was actually considering Dr Rumer but even during the consultation she didn't mention anything like this. But perhaps it might have changed because I heard that she also used to require being on T before top surgery and now she doesn't.  The fact that I am also a vegetarian makes the list much harder to follow. I could understand a couple of days prior but 2 weeks, I may really need to watch myself...

[Alexthecat]

Medalie doesn't care about what food you eat, more protein is good. He just cares that you don't take meds.

[aleon515]

You should follow the surgeon's list. If you go to a surgeon who requires you to stay off tomatoes and almonds, I think it's silly, but you should keep to the list.  I know many guys who had top surgery (like all of Dr Garramone's patients) who did not follow lists like that and had great results. He does require you not to be on NSAIDs. I believe some people put garlic on the list as some people eat rather large quantities of this, where it almost becomes a drug. The drug list has to be long, since many people aren't aware of all the thigns they put aspirin in.

--Jay

  The OP's list in the link is shorter than the list I got from Dr. Deschamps-Braly and Dr. Ousterhout for my FFS 6 weeks ago.  Almonds and Tomatoes didn't make my list either, but Garlic did, twice.  I managed to stay faithful to my list and still bled more than my surgeon expected.  They were able to finish, but ran about half an hour longer.  The added time caused my blood pressure to dip lower than they wanted and I was very dehydrated afterward.  If I hadn't followed the list, any additional issues would've probably compromised my ability to finish the surgery within safe parameters.