#19: Going Under the Knife: How to Optimize Outcomes After Surgery

Undergoing surgery is never a fun process, but one that's (unfortunately) often necessary. And while the miracle of modern medicine has seen profound advancements in surgical techniques and outcomes over the previous decades, surgery in itself creates a new injury for the body to recover from.

And if you want the best outcomes possible, there will be work that needs to be done on your part—before AND after—surgery to help give your body the best chance possible of regaining maximal amounts of health and function.

Which is why this episode covers all sorts of information pertaining to the ways you can prepare your body before surgery and what to know and expect for surgery itself, along with steps to take after surgery has been performed.

Because, let's face it: if you are going to go through a surgical procedure, it's worth implementing and following through on a few basic steps and actions that help reduce risk of surgical complications, optimize healing recovery rates, and limit the risk of surgical failure.

As always, everything discussed in this episode is for informational purposes only; if you are planning to undergo surgery or any other medical procedure, consult with your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional to receive medical insight pertaining to you.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

0:00 - Intro

8:10 - The big problem to solve & the big takeaway

11:02 - The context of this episode

13:40 - Some surgical statistics

16:27 - Essential education for undergoing surgery

26:18 - Timelines for surgical recovery

32:04 - Factors affecting surgical recovery rates

36:34 - Pre-surgical steps to take for better outcomes

44:18 - Nutritional intake for better healing

50:29 - Pre-surgical strengthening

55:50 - Preventing surgical complications

59:59 - Post-operative strengthening exercises

1:03:59 - Understanding phases of recovery

1:07:57 - Post-operative specific strengthening exercises

1:11:42 - The importance of ongoing maintenance

1:14:15 - Key takeaways from this episode

1:16:29 - A small request to make the world stronger & healthier