Anemia: tips for preparing for surgery

As is often the case with surgery, lipedema surgery is likely to cause anemia in patients.

These anemias are detected very quickly, and blood transfusions are sometimes initiated postoperatively by the clinic’s anesthesia department.

Blood that’s too “fluid” isn’t good for surgery: it doesn’t clot quickly, and this can lead to hemorrhaging.

It is essential that patients do not take any medication containing aspirin or anticoagulants for 10 days prior to the procedure. Discuss in detail with the medical team your possible treatments (current and past) and your medical history. It is crucial for the patient to follow the doctor’s instructions carefully, and to discontinue any treatment not approved by the surgeon before the operation.

How to thicken your blood before surgery

If you have a tendency to anaemia, you should opt for a change of diet 1 or 2 weeks before the operation. Blood takes a while to “fortify” and you need to change your diet and habits as soon as possible to have good results.

First and foremost: talk to your doctor, surgeon, pharmacist or nutrition specialist. Always seek professional advice before making any decisions. . They will give you precise instructions and guide you in your choice of foods and dietary supplements.

Eat foods rich in vitamin K. A coagulation vitamin par excellence, vitamin K limits the risk of hemorrhage by helping to synthesize the proteins responsible for activating several coagulation factors. Vitamin K exists naturally in two forms: K1 and K2. Vitamin K1 (also known as phylloquinone or phytomenadione) is generally found in plant-based foods (green leafy vegetables, particularly those with dark green leaves), while vitamin K2 (also known as menaquinone) is more commonly found in animal-based foods. There is also a synthetic form of the vitamin: K3 (also known as menadione).

List of foods rich in vitamin K

• All types of cabbage (raw, cooked), spinach, turnip greens, dandelion, beet, all types of lettuce, beans, asparagus, escarole, parsley, broccoli, okra, chard, fennel, blueberries, edamame, kiwi, rapeseed oil, carrots, pomegranates, soybean oil…
• Animal livers, offal, non-skimmed cheeses, butter and creams.

Foods to avoid

Avoid certain foods and products rich in salicyates (colorless crystalline compounds naturally present in certain plants that were used, among other things, as precursors of aspirin to fight fever).

Examples of products, medicines and foods rich in salicyates to avoid:

• Mint and mentholated foods (mint chewing gum, mint ice cream, mentholated candies, etc.)
• Alka Seltzer, aspirins, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, eucalyptus oil
• Most spices and aromatic herbs (curry, anise, dill, cayenne pepper, thyme, liquorice, etc.)
• Nuts in general (almonds, pine nuts, peanuts, pistachios, etc.)

Drink lots of water

Stay hydrated! Good blood circulation and a healthy body start with good hydration! Adopt the reflex of drinking 8 large glasses of water a day (about 1.5 liters).

Reducing alcohol consumption

Reduce your alcohol intake considerably, as it tends to thin the blood. If possible, opt for total abstinence from alcohol in the days leading up to the operation. Of course, small amounts of alcohol won’t make your blood more fluid, but if you naturally have thin blood, it’s best to take maximum precautions.

Avoid omega 3

Don’t eat a lot of certain foods high in omega-3 fatty acids. These essential fatty acids are excellent nutrients for good health, and are recommended in normal circumstances, BUT they thin the blood and are anti-coagulant. You should therefore avoid eating a lot of them before the operation. On the other hand, these foods will be very useful AFTER your operation to help you establish a healthy diet.

List of foods with high omega-3 content

Fish, especially non-farmed fish from natural sources (salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, cod, etc.). You should also stop taking fish oils before the operation, as capsules and ampoules of this type contain a huge amount of omega 3, linseed oil, rapeseed oil, mayonnaise, chia seeds, flaxseed…

Taking iron

Eat iron-rich foods

Iron is an essential trace element in the body’s creation of hemoglobin and myoglobin.

There are two sources of iron in your diet:

• Haem iron accounts for 70% of the iron in our bodies. Eating poultry, meat, offal and fish will increase your heme iron levels.
• Non-heme iron is found in vegetables (lentils, dried beans, tofu, oatmeal, dried figs, etc.) and eggs. This type of iron is less well absorbed by the body. Its absorption will depend on the other foods in the meal: foods rich in vitamin C will greatly help to fix this iron, while a high consumption of tea will slow down iron fixation and may even cause a drop in the body’s iron levels.

Ask specialists for advice

For further information, ask one or more professionals for advice: tell them about your diet and the dosage of any medication you are taking.

Before the operation, if you are found to be anaemic (pale, tired, iron levels too low, etc.), you will be prescribed iron tablets (a systematic treatment lasting one month).

Iron infusions supplemented with E.P.O. (EPO, also known as erythropoietin, a hormone that increases the level of red blood cells naturally produced by our kidneys, liver, brain and uterus) may also be administered by the anaesthetist if required.

Immediately after the operation, a “hemocue” test (also known as “hemoQ”) is carried out to check your hemoglobin level: a drop of your blood is analyzed in a few seconds by a small machine belonging to the doctor. If your hemoglobin level is too low, an infusion may be considered.

Conclusion : Anemia – Tips for preparing for surgery

If anemia is too high, surgery may have to be postponed.

A blood test is taken one week after the operation: if the iron level is too low, you will be prescribed iron.