Food for patients during the recovery period after surgery is an important aspect that should not be overlooked because proper nutrition plays a crucial role in the repair process of damaged tissues. It helps heal wounds both externally and internally by allowing tissues to bond together, enabling patients who have undergone surgery to recover their strength and return to their daily lives quickly.
Meat, dairy products, legumes, and eggs play an important role in building cells and components of the skin, making the newly formed skin strong. They are also components of cells and enzymes in the immune system that destroy foreign substances and pathogens, reducing the risk of wound infection. They also help repair damaged tissues. If the body lacks protein, it is more susceptible to infection and lacks the raw materials to form skin to cover wounds, leading to chronic wounds that do not heal.
High-quality protein necessary for the body during this time is protein containing all essential amino acids, such as protein from fish. It is recommended to prepare soft foods like fish porridge for initial consumption. For patients who follow a vegetarian diet, protein can be obtained from grains and various beans such as soybeans, mung beans, black beans, and red beans to provide the necessary amino acids as well.
Good fats are unsaturated fatty acids that not only provide high energy but also help prevent the body from breaking down muscle protein for energy used in building and repairing cell membranes. They help wounds heal faster. Good fats are found in olive oil, rice bran oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, sesame oil, and nuts such as almonds, cashews, and peanuts.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant and a nutrient essential when the body is inflamed. It also aids in iron absorption, supports red blood cell production to replace lost blood, and helps maintain the strength of blood vessel walls. It plays a key role in collagen fiber formation under the skin and stimulates the immune system, helping wounds heal faster and reducing swelling and bruising. Consider choosing vegetables and fruits such as guava, strawberries, kiwi, oranges, bell peppers, potatoes, broccoli, and cruciferous vegetables.
Vitamin A helps stimulate cell division in the process of new skin formation and regulates the balance of inflammation in the body to prevent it from being too little or too much. A deficiency in vitamin A can lead to easy wound infection and slow healing. Sources of vitamin A are abundant in yellow or orange vegetables such as watermelon and papaya.
Iron is an essential component of hemoglobin in red blood cells, which transports oxygen to various parts of the body, including wounds. Zinc is an important mineral supported by medical research to stimulate wound healing effectively by working with several enzymes involved in the synthesis of genetic material for skin cell division. It plays a role in protein and collagen synthesis, helps produce new skin cells, and aids wound healing. It is found abundantly in lean meats (without skin or fat), fish, eggs, seafood, kale, broccoli, spinach, morning glory, legumes, tofu, prune juice, and green leafy vegetables.
However, iron and zinc supplementation should be in appropriate amounts because excessive intake of one mineral can disrupt the balance of other minerals in the body and cause long-term adverse effects.
In addition to consuming the food groups mentioned above, post-surgery patients should avoid raw or undercooked foods and fermented foods because these can harm the body and may cause infections and complications. They should also take care of themselves by drinking plenty of water, as water is a major component of blood, which is the most important factor in transporting oxygen and nutrients to repair wounds and damaged tissues inside the body. This should be combined with adequate rest to promote tissue regeneration for complete wound healing, which is the path to a speedy recovery to normal health.
