How can patients prepare for breast reconstruction with a drink?
Many of our patients are surprised to learn that part of their breast reconstruction surgery preparation includes a nutritional drink. This specially formulated carbohydrate drink is an important part of our ERAS protocol and has many benefits to patients.
At the pre-operative appointment patients are given two bottles of Clear Fast. Patients will drink the first bottle 12 hours before their scheduled surgery. The second bottle will be consumed the morning of surgery before arriving at the hospital.
Even though most pre-operative instructions include “no food or drink after midnight before surgery,” this pre-surgery drink is safe and positively preps the body for anesthesia.
The drink enables the body to process anesthesia quicker, decreases anesthesia related nausea, and optimizes healing. Patients are now able to begin eating solid food much earlier after surgery and the risk of constipation is also far less, particularly since pain control is no longer dependent on narcotics.
This is one of the many aspects of our ERAS protocol that benefits our patients! Thanks to the protocol, patients are experiencing less pan and are healing faster after surgery. In fact, patients are feeling well enough to go home as early as two days following surgery!
Author: Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo and Courtney Floyd
Many of our patients are surprised to learn that part of their pre-surgery preparation includes a nutritional drink. This specially formulated carbohydrate drink is an important part of our ERAS protocol and has many benefits to patients.
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