Nutrition before your ENT Surgery

Maintaining a good diet before your surgery ensures that your body is in optimal health before your surgery. Research suggests that good preoperative health achieves the best healing results after your surgery. Please ensure that you have had adequate protein, vitamins and minerals for at least 2 weeks before your operation.

Protein

Protein is involved in tissue healing and it is important to eat enough protein. Some nutritionists have noticed recently that some people who are following high carbohydrate, low fat diets do not get enough protein. In the attempt to avoid fat, they are avoiding protein sources in their diets. The optimal amount of protein is 50 to 60 gm per day for a woman, and 70 to 90 gm per day for a man, or about 1 gm per kilogram of body weight.

Here’s what you should be eating on a daily basis for at least 2 weeks before surgery to ensure an intake of 50 to 70 gm per day.

2 small servings of lean chicken, turkey, beef, fish, or shellfish = 28 gm protein.

The following can be substituted for an ounce of animal protein:

• 1 egg = 7 gm protein
• 1 oz cheese = 7 gm protein
• 1/4 cup cottage cheese = 7 gm protein
• 1/2 cup beans or legumes = 7 gm protein
• 1/2 cup tofu = 7 gm protein
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of nuts = 7 gm protein
• 2 cups of skim or low fat milk or yogurt – 16 gm protein

Breads, cereals, grains, potatoes, pasta and vegetables will contribute the remainder of the protein, probably about 10 to 20 gm. Larger women and most men should add a little more to this basic nutrition plan.

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals are involved in tissue healing and repair and many nutritionists feel that your body should have optimal levels before surgery. To ensure that you are getting all of the vitamins and minerals in the correct amounts it is recommended to take a high quality, well absorbed, balanced vitamin/mineral supplement for several weeks before surgery.