Clinical Support For Surgery FAQ's

1. Who should use Clinical Support for Surgery? Clinical Support for Surgery provides nutrients to speed wound healing, support the immune system, and prevent infection. As a result, the product is particularly beneficial for patients undergoing more extensive surgical procedures such as face lift, breast reduction and reconstruction, abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), and liposuction.

2. Is Clinical Support for Surgery appropriate for an individual who has had gastric bypass surgery? Yes, but the dosing may need to be lowered to allow for the proper absorption of nutrients and to prevent gastrointestinal upset. Following gastric bypass surgery, many patients have a difficult time obtaining a sufficient quantity of the micronutrients (vitamins & minerals) required for good health. At the same time, a dramatically reduced stomach size makes it difficult to take certain supplements, especially tablets. This becomes important should the gastric bypass patient elect to have surgery down the road (e.g., body contouring), as nutrient deficiencies delay the healing process. For this reason, Clinical Support for Surgery is ideally suited for these patients. Even though the product is available in a tablet formulation, many gastric patients have been able to comfortably take the product.

3. Who should not use Clinical Support for Surgery? Nutritional supplements have an excellent safety track record. However, certain individuals should seek the advice of their doctor before beginning any nutritional supplement program, particularly diabetics and pregnant or lactating women. Clinical Support for Surgery contains vitamin K and is contraindicated in patients taking blood thinners like coumadin. This product also contains Vitamin A. If you are presently taking Accutane® (isotretinoin) for the treatment of acne, please refrain from taking Clinical Support for Sugery until the end of the treatment cycle. This product also contains niacin, which may cause temporary redness of the skin and flushing.

4. Why can’t I take my regular multi-vitamin & mineral supplement during the peri-operative period? Your regular multi-vitamin & mineral supplement has not been designed to support your body’s needs following surgery. First, a regular multi-vitamin & mineral will be formulated with vitamin E. While this fat-soluble nutrient is an excellent antioxidant and confers a number of health benefits, it is not recommended during the peri-operative period because it can promote bleeding. Second, a regular multi-vitamin & mineral will not have sufficient amounts of the micronutrients that help repair and build new tissue, eliminate the free-radicals that are generated by surgery and boost the immune system which is typically comprised following surgery.

5. What is the primary benefit of using Clinical Support for Surgery? Clinical Support for Surgery contains key vitamins and minerals in appreciable amounts that play a well-documented role in the healing process. This two-part formula is very important for wound healing and for rebuilding the immune system, which prevents infection from occurring.

6. What makes VitaMedica’s Clinical Support for Surgery product unique? Clinical Support for Surgery is a specialty nutritional supplement program that is designed to provide patients with essential nutrients to support healing after a surgical procedure. The two-part (AM & PM) formulation is unique because it excludes nutrients that may have an adverse effect on surgery and healing. For example, the formulation does not contain vitamin E because this fat-soluble vitamin may cause problems with bleeding during surgery and slow wound healing post-operatively. While many of these nutrients may be found in multiple supplement products, until now, no other nutraceutical has provided this unique combination, in a single formulation, to support healing after surgery.

7. Why is Clinical Support for Surgery provided in a two-part formula? To promote nutrient delivery and to support activity levels. The body most effectively uses certain nutrients when they are provided throughout the day. This is especially true for water-soluble nutrients such as vitamin C and the B-complex. Unlike their fat-soluble counterparts, water-soluble nutrients can’t be stored in the body. As a result, any extra that is not needed at the time, is excreted through the urine. The only way to obtain a sufficient amount of these types of nutrients is to take them in divided doses. Clinical Support for Surgery’s two-part formula uses a Chronotherapy Delivery System (CDS). This approach takes into consideration that our bodies’ requirements for certain nutrients differ based on the time of day. For this reason, the AM formulation contains the bulk of vitamins (especially the B-complex) to support daytime activity levels. Conversely, the PM formulation contains the bulk of minerals to promote rest and relaxation.

8. Clinical Support for Surgery contains vitamin A. What role does vitamin A have in the healing process? Vitamin A, or retinol, is a fat-soluble essential nutrient that must be obtained through diet or supplementation. Vitamin A is well-known for its role in eye health, growth and development, reproduction, and immune system function. Vitamin A is very important for wound healing. In addition, vitamin A partially reverses immune system depression, which can help to reduce the chance of infection. This nutrient is also needed for maintenance and repair of epithelial tissue.

The body can obtain vitamin A by converting carotenes into retinol. Carotenes are a group of fat-soluble compounds that are responsible for giving many fruits and vegetables their color. A number of carotenes can be converted into retinol and include beta-, alpha-, and gamma-carotene. Compared to retinol, the carotenes have significant antioxidant protective benefits.

9. The amount of vitamin A in Clinical Support for Surgery seems high. I’m concerned about taking too much of this vitamin. Is this level within a safe range? Yes. Although the amount of vitamin A in Clinical Support for Surgery is well above the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), the amount is very safe. The upward limit of a vitamin depends on whether it is considered a fat-soluble or water-soluble nutrient.

Fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin A (palmitate), vitamin D, vitamin E and v K, are stored in the liver and fatty tissue of the body. As a result, if an excessive amount is taken, toxicity can become a problem. In the case of vitamin A, toxicity may occur in adults when more than 50,000 IUs is taken on a daily basis for several years.

With vitamin A, it is important to distinguish the source – either from the carotenes or from palmitate. Some of the carotenes, which include alpha-, beta-, and gamma- carotene, are precursors to vitamin A. This means that when needed, the body converts the carotene into vitamin A. This is an important distinction because overloading on the carotenes is much more difficult than overloading on vitamin A from palmitate.

10. Clinical Support for Surgery contains vitamin C. What role does vitamin C play in the healing process? Clinical Support for Surgery contains a much larger dose of vitamin C than the Recommended Daily Allowance of 60 mg. The formulation also contains a considerably larger amount of vitamin C than the average multi-vitamin and mineral supplement of 100 mg. Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is an important water-soluble essential nutrient that provides antioxidant protection. Vitamin C plays a primary role in the formation of collagen and is needed for tissue growth and repair. This nutrient promotes the healing of wounds, and protects against blood clotting and bruising. It also protects against the harmful effects of pollution and enhances immunity.

11. Clinical Support for Surgery contains bioflavonoids. What are bioflavonoids and what role do they play in the healing process? Bioflavonoids refer to a group of substances responsible for giving fruits and vegetables their color. These water-soluble nutrients include citrin, rutin, and hesperidin as well as other flavones and flavonals. Bioflavonoids have several properties including anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, antiviral and anticarcinogenic. The bioflavonoids strengthen the walls of capillaries thereby preventing bruising. They also help build resistance to infection. In addition, bioflavonoids are potent antioxidants that enhance the absorption of Vitamin C and prevent this nutrient from being oxidized.

12. Clinical Support for Surgery contains vitamin K. What role does vitamin K play in the healing process? Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for bone formation and repair and is necessary for normal blood clotting.

13. Clinical Support for Surgery contains the B-complex of vitamins. What role does the B-complex play in the healing process? The B-complex refers to the water-soluble family of B-vitamins including B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin, niacinaminde), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cobalamin), folic acid, PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid), biotin, choline and inositol. The B-complex is so-named because they are commonly found together in foods. Because the functions of the B-vitamins are so interrelated, it is best to take them as a complex and not as single supplements. As a group, the B-complex is important for circulatory, digestive and nervous system function; energy and adrenal hormone production; and red blood cell formation. The B-complex, known as the “anti-stress” vitamins, is also well suited during periods of stress including after an operation or surgical procedure. Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for bone formation and repair and is necessary for normal blood clotting.

14. Clinical Support for Surgery contains zinc. What role does zinc play in the healing process? Zinc is an antioxidant that is essential for protein synthesis and collagen formation. This mineral helps to promote healing of wounds and increases the absorption of vitamin A.

15. Clinical Support for Surgery contains copper. What role does copper play in the healing process? Copper is a trace mineral that aids in the formation of bone, hemoglobin and red blood cells. Copper works in balance with vitamin C and zinc to form elastin, and is essential for the formation of collagen. Copper is necessary for the function of an enzyme which is required to cross-link collagen and elastin.

16. I noticed in the Supplement Facts panel the source for a number of minerals is from “hydrolyzed soy protein chelate”. I have been instructed by my doctor to avoid soy-containing supplements. Should I take this product? Clinical Support for Surgery is not contraindicated for patients who have been instructed by their doctor to avoid soy-containing supplements. In general, our bodies absorb vitamins without much difficulty, but minerals are not absorbed as well. Chelation is a process that combines a mineral with an amino acid. This process of chelation enhances the absorption of the minerals by “fooling” the body into thinking it is absorbing the amino acid attached to the mineral. The mineral is pulled into the body along with the amino acid, ensuring its absorption. In Clinical Support for Surgery, while the protein source for the chelate is derived from soy, it accounts for 1/10 of 1% of the chelated material. For this reason, the product is safe for patients who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and are taking medications like Tamoxifen®.

17. I noticed that the AM formulation for Clinical Support for Surgery is yellow and the PM formulation is white. What is the reason for this and is the yellow color a dye? Although the morning formulation is yellow, it is naturally colored by the B-vitamin riboflavin and is quite safe. The color-coding is helpful for patients to distinguish between their daytime and evening supplements.

18. When should I start taking Clinical Support for Surgery? How long should I take Clinical Support for Surgery? Patients should begin taking Clinical Support for Surgery 14 days prior to surgery and continue taking the product 14 days following surgery. If a surgery is scheduled in fewer than 14 days, Clinical Support for Surgery can still be beneficial. However, it is optimal to start taking the product 2 weeks before surgery so that the fat-soluble nutrients like Vitamin A and Vitamin K can be stored in the body.

19. What is the recommended dosing for Clinical Support for Surgery? The recommended dosing is 1-3 tablets, taken with breakfast or lunch and 1-3 tablets taken with dinner or before bedtime. The product is started 2 weeks before surgery and for two weeks following surgery.

20. What other VitaMedica products may be beneficial to support healing after surgery? Given that demands on the body are much higher during the healing process it is important to eat healthy during this period of high metabolic activity. Supplementing the diet with certain supplements can support and speed the healing process. DermalNutrients was formulated specifically to help support the dermis following surgery. The extra protein and nutrients in the formula are designed to help build new dermal tissue. VitaMedica’s Bromelain with Quercetin and Arnica Montana 30X products help to reduce bruising, swelling and inflammation. VitaMedica’s Healing Supplements Program provides both of these products in a convenient 10-day kit. VitaMedica’s Surgery Program provides both of these products along with Clinical Support for Surgery in a convenient one-month kit to provide a complete healing program.

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