Evidence-Based Perioperative Nutrition Recommendations: Optimizing Results and Minimizing Risks

Plastic surgery patients span the nutritional spectrum from generally healthy, nutritionally competent patients to inherently catabolic, nutritionally deficient, and chronic wound patients. Therefore, plastic and reconstructive surgery affords the opportunity to investigate the impact of nutrition across a heterogeneous patient population following a wide variety of procedures. Although patients may be nutritionally deficient in certain vitamins warranting perioperative repletion, other supplements have the potential to benefit all patients, regardless of nutritional status. Despite these putative benefits, there is a dearth of information regarding nutritional optimization, with the limited, available literature focusing mostly on herbal supplements and their potential side effects. A significant barrier to supplement use is the lack of education and available supporting information regarding the indications, contraindications, and physiology of these adjuncts. The goal of this article is to provide a comprehensive, evidence-based review of available nutritional supplements that can be considered for the plastic surgery patient in the perioperative period to optimize surgical outcomes while minimizing risk. Prospective, well-designed studies using validated, high-quality supplements will be critical in determining the significance that perioperative supplementation can have for surgical outcomes. Until well-done prospective studies are performed, the supplement, dose, and duration should be determined on an individual, patient-per-patient basis at the discretion of the operating surgeon.