Dr. Christopher Johnson: Enhancing Surgical Outcomes Through Mind-Body-Spirit Balance

Patients who prepare physically, mentally, and spiritually for surgery experience faster recovery, less pain, and better outcomes. Intuitively, they know that losing weight, reducing fat, and increasing muscle improve their bodies' readiness for surgery. They should also understand that practicing mindfulness helps their mental and emotional resilience. Studies show that pre-surgery mindfulness can enhance recovery and reduce complications, yet this is often overlooked by surgeons. These techniques build resilience and the capacity to recover from surgery.

Exercising before surgery, especially high-intensity interval training, weight lifting, and cardio, is highly beneficial for pre-op patients. It's important to consult with your surgeon and primary care physician when planning your exercise regimen. Similarly, dietary adjustments can improve surgical outcomes. Avoiding red meat, refined sugar, fried foods, dairy, white bread, white rice, and white potatoes before plastic surgery is also helpful.

Not everyone is mentally or emotionally suited for cosmetic surgery. Patients with low resilience, measured through simple questionnaires, should avoid non-urgent procedures. Those with moderate to severe depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress are particularly at risk for postoperative complications and prolonged recoveries. Financially stressed patients should also be discouraged from undergoing cosmetic surgery. Surgery should only be considered once these conditions are resolved. A thoughtful surgeon who considers their work's physical and mental aspects can significantly reduce complications. Teaching resilience assessment and building in medical school would greatly benefit pre-op patient care.

Getting eight hours of sleep daily has been shown to improve surgical recovery. Meditation, yoga, chanting, and prayer can further enhance recovery. Additionally, journaling, staying connected with a support group, volunteering, and spending time in nature have all been shown to reduce complications, decrease the need for pain medication, and increase post-surgery energy levels. Numerous studies show that mindfulness practices improve recovery for patients undergoing surgery. Using these techniques to supercharge recovery is a new concept that should be taught to all trained surgeons and included in medical school curricula. Unfortunately, it isn’t intuitive for patients to practice these techniques, as they often don't see the connection with outcomes.

Balance and mindfulness are essential to me as a surgeon because I took a sacred oath: "Primum non nocere" - "First, do no harm." As cosmetic surgeons, we must ensure we do not harm patients by thoroughly screening those who might be adversely affected by a procedure. Every patient can benefit from techniques that enhance resilience. Numerous studies show that mindfulness practices improve recovery for patients undergoing surgery. Most of these free techniques can be done in the comfort of one’s home or neighborhood. The benefits are clear; we hope to see more surgeons offering resilience-building before any elective operation.