It is estimated that more than 230 million major surgical procedures are undertaken every year worldwide.1 With modern techniques, trauma can be kept to a minimum. Still, the patient’s body has to recover: through a variety of responses, it mobilises its existing resources to initiate the healing process. Nutrition, by providing protein and energy, can accelerate recovery, for many reasons.2
Before surgery takes place, appropriate nutrition can assist a better outcome. Clinical studies have proven that supplementing the diet with certain nutrients can improve the body’s responses and may reduce post-operative complications, even when the patient is considered well nourished.3
Depending on the procedure, the medical team might also decide to put patients on a specialised nutritional solution to enhance their immune system, with the potential for shorter hospital stays.4