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Incision Healing and Nutrition: How to Help Surgical Wounds Heal

Recovering from Surgery: Nutrition for Surgical Wound Healing

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How Nutrition Benefits Surgical Incision Wound Healing

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MAY. 20, 2020  5 MIN. READ
Description

Whether it's a knee or hip replacement, tumor removal or anything in between, one process always happens once the surgery is complete: a doctor cleans and closes the incisions they've made. Once that incision is made, your body’s healing process starts.

Our bodies are designed to heal any skin and tissue damage that comes our way, if we have the right tools to make it happen. To ensure that your incision heals properly, you'll want to take a closer look not only at appropriate cleaning and care, but also your nutrition. 

Good nutrition makes the healing process possible, explained Jeff Nelson, PhD, senior research scientist at Abbott specializing in wound healing, and prioritizing certain amino acids, vitamins and minerals in your diet are needed for recovery. But how does this work? And what happens to our bodies during surgery recovery?

We sat down with Nelson to learn the answers to these questions, as well as how getting the right nutrition can aid incision healing.

How Do Our Bodies Heal Surgical Incision Wounds?

The wounds we sustain after a surgery or an injury that breaks the skin are classified as acute wounds, Nelson explained. A burn is also considered an acute wound.

Chronic wounds, alternatively, are those that don’t show improved healing by approximately 30 days, such as pressure injuries or foot ulcers stemming from issues including immobility and diabetes. Often older adults in long-term care facilities experience pressure injuries, also known as bed sores. Chronic wounds can lead to further complications and require additional care.

Nelson shares the perfect analogy for what happens when wounds start to heal: "I think of it as a house on fire."

First, as you come out of surgery, the inflammation stage starts. Specialized cells move to the incision site, working to stop the bleeding and mitigate excessive cell damage — just like firefighters rushing to a burning building to quench its flames.

Cell proliferation starts about a week later. Here, your body begins "clearing out the rubble," as he explains, and sending materials like collagen to prep the incision site for rebuilding. Around the two-week mark, wounds start to fill in with new tissue so that ultimately the wound can close and new skin can form.

It usually takes about a month for acute wounds to close up, and up to a year for the complete recovery depending on the type and extent of the wound.

What Factors Influence Healing After a Surgery?

How quickly and efficiently your body recovers after surgery depends on several factors, from the type and size of incision to your overall health and nutrition status. In general, the larger the wound, the longer the recovery process. And if surgery was performed in the context of a significant tissue injury, such as with burns, car accidents or falls, the healing process may also be longer, explained Nelson.

"One of the misconceptions with wound healing is that recovery or healing is going to happen as swiftly as it did when you were younger.”

Jeff Nelson, PhD, senior research scientist, Abbott

Age is also a factor. "One of the misconceptions with wound healing is that recovery or healing is going to happen as swiftly as it did when you were younger," he said. But with each passing decade, your body loses some of its ability to recover quickly. This may be exacerbated by certain medications and cardiovascular conditions, as they can limit the flow of blood to the incision — which is essential for healing.

Getting enough of the right nutrients is critical when recovering from surgery. Your body needs extra energy from calories as well as nutrients including protein, amino acids, vitamins and minerals to generate new tissue.

How to Help Surgical Wound Healing With Nutrition

Following major surgeries, our bodies require a significant number of calories to support healing, Nelson explained. "The cells for each stage of healing require specific nutrients," he continued. "And if you don't have those nutrients, the cells aren't going to be able to adequately do their job and the healing process can become stalled.”

However, your appetite and ability to tolerate foods might be lower during recovery.  In addition, a normal diet may not be enough to supply adequate levels of certain nutrients that are essential for the wound healing process. In these scenarios, supplementation is vital to bridge the nutrition gap. Therapeutic nutritional drinks like Juven® are specially formulated to provide targeted nutrition for wound healing.

Juven, backed by more than 40 studies and clinically shown to support wound healing by increasing collagen formation in as little as two weeks1*, contains a blend of nutrients that are major players in the wound healing process, including:

  • Arginine and glutamine : During times of trauma, the body lacks enough of these essential amino acids, meaning you'll have to increase your intake to get more of them. Arginine helps to promote the production of protein, enhances cell growth, triggers collagen production, strengthens immune function and promotes blood flow. Glutamine also promotes collagen production and supports a healthy immune system. Together, these activities help support vital repair and rebuilding.
  • Hydrolyzed collagen : This is collagen that's been broken down into building blocks, providing our bodies with the raw materials needed to cover a wound. It helps to increase the body's collagen level and stimulates the production of internal collagen at the wound site.
  • HMB : Short for β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate, HMB is a metabolite of the amino acid leucine. HMB helps slow muscle breakdown while also spurring protein synthesis.
  • Zinc : This mineral aids in DNA and protein synthesis, immune function and skin integrity.
  • Vitamins C and E : These antioxidants help the body recover and manage cell damage. Vitamin C helps improve collagen strength, while vitamin E assists in stabilizing cells.
  • Vitamin B12 : This vitamin increases levels of red blood cells and hemoglobin, allowing the body to easily get oxygen and nutrients to the incision site for healing. It also helps spur collagen production.

Talk to your doctor before adding anything new to your diet, especially after surgery, and ask if adding Juven would be appropriate for your recovery nutrition plan. Juven should be used in addition to an already nutrient-rich diet that includes foods like fruits, vegetables, lean meats and dairy.

Understanding how wound healing works and how nutrition plays a critical role in the healing process is the first step on the road to recovery. For more tips on how to bounce back after surgery, consider working with a dietitian. Not only can they create an eating plan customized just for you, but they can also guide you on ways to maintain good health year-round.

1 Williams JZ, et al. Ann Surg. 2002; 236:369-374.

* as measured by hydroxyproline levels in healthy elderly adults as part of a wound healing model, taking 2 servings per day

Half of Americans Living with Diabetes May Not Get Enough Protein

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Half of Americans Living with Diabetes May Not Get Enough Protein

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Like everyone else, people living with diabetes should strive to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. You don't need to cook one meal for yourself and another for the rest of your family. Well-balanced meals, which include lean protein, vegetables, healthy fats, and whole grains, are healthy for everyone and help manage blood sugar.

When preparing those meals, it is important to prioritize protein.  Protein is a nutrient that has a minimal impact on blood sugar levels and has the added benefits of helping satisfy hunger. Try to aim for 20-25 grams of protein at every meal and find snacks with higher protein quantities.

A new study from Abbott and The Ohio State University published in Nutrients that found that half of adults surveyed in the U.S. living with diabetes did  not get enough protein in their diet.

The study highlights protein intake as an essential and often overlooked consideration in meeting the nutritional needs of people living with diabetes and its importance in supporting strength and mobility.

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Nutrition Changes May Lower Blood Sugar | Abbott Nutrition

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Small Dietary Changes Can Help Lower Your Blood Sugar and Manage Diabetes

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The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says 1 in 10 Americans have diabetes and another 1 in 5 people don’t know they have the chronic condition. As the rate of diabetes continues to rise, it’s more important than ever to adopt healthy habits and strategies to manage diabetes. Keeping your glucose in check is of the utmost importance when you're managing type 2 diabetes. Often, ensuring your glucose levels stay within a healthy range requires a multifaced approach of a healthy eating plan and exercise along with potential medication.

Managing diabetes doesn't have to feel like work, though. In fact, even slight behavior and eating plan changes may have a significant impact on your glucose management. And according to a new pilot study, diabetes specific nutrition as part of a balanced diet shows promise to help improve glucose management.

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JUVEN® THERAPEUTIC NUTRITION POWDER

Juven is specialized nutrition therapy to support wound healing.

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