Nutrition and the Plastic Surgeon: Possible Interventions and Practice Considerations

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Nutritional Science
• Wound Healing

Background:

• Nutritional status significantly impacts surgical outcomes.
• Malnutrition is prevalent in hospitalized patients and affects up to 25% of plastic surgery outpatients.
• Both micronutrients and macronutrients are vital for effective wound healing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To emphasize the importance of nutrition in plastic surgery.
• To present outpatient nutritional interventions for surgical care.
• To guide plastic surgeons in integrating nutrition for enhanced patient care, particularly for wound healing.

Main Methods:

• Implementing universal nutritional screening using validated tools (e.g., Canadian Nutritional Screening Tool).
• Complementing screening with blood work, BMI measurements, and dietician referrals.
• Utilizing outpatient interventions like exposure and incentives to improve nutritional intake and access to healthy foods.

Main Results:

• Universal screening identifies patients at risk for malnutrition.
• Outpatient interventions can promote adequate nutritional intake.
• Prehabilitation strategies, including nutritional optimization, enhance preoperative functional capacity.

Conclusions:

• Integrating nutritional assessment and intervention is a key strategy to enhance plastic surgery practice.
• Early identification and management of malnutrition improve surgical outcomes and wound healing.
• A multidisciplinary approach involving surgeons and dieticians is essential for optimal patient nutrition.