Herbal Supplements Pose Risks For Plastic Surgery

Author: William

~ 04/17/09

Herbal Supplements Pose Risks For Plastic Surgery Recent findings in a report in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal states that more than 40% of cosmetic surgery patients take some form of herbal supplement in the 2 weeks leading up to their operation.

Many supplements can aid recovery, but experts are concerned that others can be harmful around the time of surgery and may also interact with conventional post-operation medicines.

These include some of the most popular supplements, typically used to boost the immune system, such as ginkgo biloba, ginseng, garlic and echinacea.

Dr. Alan Gold, president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), said that despite the well-documented side-effects of some herbal supplements, “many patients do not fully appreciate the importance of discontinuing these treatments before surgery”.

Dr. Gold also added: “Stopping certain herbal supplements prior to surgery is just as critical as stopping aspirin, ibuprofen and many other common drugs.”

When undergoing any elective surgery, the most serious and potentially dangerous effects of alternative medicines and herbal supplements occur during the operative and in the immediate postoperative periods.

“In considering the dizzying array of supplements available, the main concerns of the plastic surgeon are interaction with other medications, cardiovascular effects, alteration of coagulation [bleeding] and sedative effects,” adds David J. Rowe, M.D., author and Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery at the University Hospitals Case Medical Center, in Lyndhurst, OH.

This situation is not unique to North American pateints either. The advice may be relevant to a significant number of British people as well, as several plastic surgery clinics recently told British newspaper, the Mirror, that there is likely to be as much as a 26% increase in the number of women undergoing breast enlargement surgery in April compared to March.

Herbal Medications to Avoid Within 2 Weeks of Plastic Surgery:

Bleeding effects:

Gingko Biloba
Garlic
Ginseng
Fish Oils (omega-3 fatty acids)
Dong Quai
Feverfew

Cardiovascular Effects:

Ephedra (tachycardia, hypertension and palpitations)
Garlic (hypotension)

Drug interactions:

Echinacea
Goldenseal
Licorice
St. John’s Wort
Kava
Valerian Root

Anesthetic effects:

Valerian Root
St. John’s Wort
Kava

Other side effects:

St. John’s Wort and Dong Quai (photosensitivity)
Ginseng (hypoglycemia)

The journal, unfortunately, also reports that as many as 70% of patients may not disclose any use of alternative medications to their plastic surgeon or conventional health care provider. Patients attribute this to feeling that sometimes these physicians have little knowledge or interest in naturopathic medicine, or they feel doctors may disapprove of such treatments. Some patients simply fail to see the relevance of supplement usage to their current medical or surgical care.

“This article was written to help plastic surgeons and their patients identify potentially harmful herbal supplements, based on the most current scientific research,” says Dr. Rowe. Herbal Supplements Pose Risks For Patients 2 Weeks Before And After Surgery “On the positive side, we also discuss how providing the correct supplements and nutrients after aesthetic surgery can be very therapeutic.”

Patients need to be aware that full disclosure of all medications – both those that are prescribed and those that are obtained over-the-counter – is extremely important to their health and safety. They should also understand that inconsistent and unregulated manufacturing standards and lack of regulation for many herbal supplements mean that quality and dosage may vary considerably among products. Just as any patient would want their medical provider to be completely honest and forthright about their treatment, attaining the desired outcome of plastic surgery requires the same honesty and disclosure from the patient.

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