IMMUNITION™ Report©
Volume IV, No. 9 By Frank M. Jordan
Surgery – What You Need to Know
Read an important Health Treatment Notice about personal health issues.
My Doctor Says Have Surgery – What Do I Do?
More than one out of every ten Americans will have some surgical procedure in the next 12 months! Cumulatively we in the United States will spend $350+ Billion dollars on surgery in the next year or more than $1,100 per person – man, woman and child in the United States!
How many forms of surgery are available to you? US Surgical Procedures are segmented into what are designated as 33 service lines which includes therapeutic plastic surgery (not elective), further divided into 1,090 procedure groupings and 5,375 distinct procedures with approximately 30.7 million performed annually.
Add Cosmetic Plastic Surgery for vanity (1.8 million), Caesarian in births (1.1 million), Lasik and other eye surgery (1.9 million), Transplants of organs (27,000) and the total surgeries performed in the U.S. in the most recent statistics from 2004 are 35.5 million annually, not including 3 million annual normal baby deliveries.
What is surgery? Surgery is the treatment of an injury, deformity or disease by operation or manipulation, with surgical trauma a side effect caused by the invasive nature of disrupting skin, joint, tissue, muscle and organ functions in the body due to the characteristics of surgery.
The word “surgery” is from the Greek cheirourgia meaning “hand work,” as original surgery involved manipulation of the body by the hands. Surgery is the medical specialty that treats diseases or injuries by operative manual and instrumental treatment. Surgeons may be physicians, dentists or veterinarians who specialize in surgery.
Greek tradition was against opening the body and the famous Hippocratic Oath warns physicians against the practice of surgery, specifically, “cutting persons laboring under the stone, i.e. lithotomy which is an operation to relieve kidney stones. Little was known about germs or inflammation at the time nor was proper hygiene practiced, but they knew cutting into a person due to infection most often resulted in death for the patient.
Prevention First to Stop “When In Doubt, Take It Out!”
Do we today try to prevent the need for surgery by every means available including diet, exercise, rest and nutritional supplementation or are we unduly influenced by “When in doubt, take it out!” Too often it appears dollars become a major factor in surgery decisions, particularly for women in hysterectomies and mastectomies. Gall bladder surgery is performed almost without regard to the importance of the gall bladder in proper digestion and the increased colon cancer risk after removal.
Elective obesity surgeries are also common-place with promises of being thin blinding many to the truth that a healthy lifestyle must be implemented with many sacrifices and potential health problems to retain the reduced weight.
The two most common non-obstetric surgeries are dental extraction most do not associate with being a surgical procedure and circumcision of primarily babies. Because of the direct link of the teeth to the organs of the body, particularly the heart, the seriousness of dental surgery is often underestimated. Root canals to remove infection seldom are totally successful, requiring follow-up surgery within months to years with bacterial invasion potentially causing multiple health issues in the interim.
For men, prostate surgery to remove potentially cancerous prostate glands has become common and is a deterrent if the cancer cells are localized. Proper diet with MG beta glucan, saw palmetto, pygeum africanum and zinc in the NSC Prostate Formula combined with pumpkin seeds is nutritionally beneficial for many.
First, if confronted with a recommendation of surgery, obtain a second opinion that in almost 30% of cases results in a different opinion on surgery need. Will surgery require hospitalization or be out-patient where you return home the same day. How will the surgery be performed including intensive, laparoscopic and minimally invasive? Don’t be shy – it is your body that will be invaded with all the attendant benefits hoped for and risk assured!
Surgery Toxic Effects
Surgery has common characteristics including:
- Wound creation at the point of incission and cell disruption and damage at the joint, muscle, tissue, organ level creating infection exposure and cell function disruption including energy production.
- Suppression of the immune system during the postoperative period immediately after surgery and inflammation at the site of the surgery.
- Negative side effects from pharmaceuticals administered as anesthetics to prevent pain during surgery and to prevent infection after surgery, with blood poisoning or sepsis a potential deadly side effect. Particularly of concern are the massive antibiotics usually administered to attempt to prevent bacterial infection that while killing bad bacteria, also kill the good flora essential to proper digestion, bowel function and avoidance of fungus/mycotoxins
Surgery Preparation
Promote your immune response – no sugar; eat a balanced diet with vegetables and fiber essential. If possible, get moderate exercise, lose weight, try to get 8-10 hours sleep daily, use deep breathing, prayer and other relaxation techniques to reduce stress.
Both before and after surgery for 14 days, cease taking Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Aspirin and Ginkgo Biloba, all being natural blood thinners plus oral systemic proteolytic enzymes. In the 48 hours prior to surgery, go to a clear liquid diet and take vitamins other than those listed above, together with NSC MG Beta Glucan, preferably the NSC 100 IMMUNITION Extra Strength form for nutritional enhancement of the immune response, NSC CoQ10, NSC Immune Plus, L-Arginine and Glutamine.
Nutritional Supplementation Beneficial to Promoting Surgical Recovery
MG Beta Glucan: MG Glucan improves the function of the Immune System based on extensive Medical School Research:
Surgery is invasive with incisions and cuts of the skin and organs, creating wounds that heal slowly if infected.
“Of all the substances tested, glucan was the only substance to exhibit a particularly marked enhancement of the proliferative phase of wound healing. It appears, from these experiments, that the effect observed by others in terms of the activation of reticuloendothelial [immune response] function by glucan and the activation of macrophages, both locally and systematically, also apply to activation of macrophages in healing wounds.” Leibovich S.J., et al., “Promotion of Wound Repair in Mice by Application of Glucan”. J. Reticuloendothel, Soc. 27: 1-11. 1980.
“It was shown, for example, that a beta-glucan which was extracted from the wall of a yeast, i.e. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, enabled skin to regenerate.” Vacher, A M; “Cosmetic composition which includes at least one polysaccharide derived from bacteria of hydrothermal origin,” U.S. Patent Application 20020187167, December 12, 2002.
Beta Glucan is a potent antioxidant for post operative infection:
“…glucan reduces the risk of staphylococcal abscess formation. Neutrophil-activating agents [glucan] are a novel means of prophylaxis [protection in advance] against surgical infection and may be less likely than antibiotics to be affected adversely by the increasing antibiotic resistance of nosocomial pathogens.” IDernodle D, Gates H, Kaiser A, “Prophylactic anti-infective activity of poly-[1,6]-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-[1,3]-beta-D-glucopryanose glucan in a guinea pig model of staphylococcal wound infection,” Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 42:3,545-9. Mar 1998.
“In a prospective, randomized double-blind study, [Babineau, et.al.] demonstrate that the perioperative administration of PGG-glucan, a substance derived from yeast that increases the microbial killing activity of leukocytes, can decrease infectious complications in patients undergoing major surgical procedures…the preliminary results are positive and should be interpreted as good news.” Norton MD, JA [Prof of Surg, Chief of Endocrine and Oncologic Surgery]; “Editorial: Annals of Surgery,” Washington University School of Medicine, Nov 1994.
MG Beta Glucan counteracts the suppression of the Immune System that occurs in people who are subject to the extreme physical and emotional stress related to surgery. Post surgery is a prime time for acquiring infections, some life threatening such as sepsis or blood poisoning.
“Sepsis leads to various organ damage and dysfunction. One of the underlying mechanisms is thought to be oxidative damage due to generation of free radicals. … Since beta-glucan administration reversed these oxidant responses, it seems likely that beta-glucan protects against sepsis-induced oxidative organ injury.” G, Toklu H, et al; “Protective effect of beta-glucan against oxidative organ injury in a rat model of sepsis,” Int Immunopharmacol:1387-96 Epub 2005/Aug 2005.
“These data demonstrate the usefulness of [Beta 1,3/1,6 glucan]… in preventing experimental intraabdominal sepsis…and may represent a new adjunct to antibiotic regimens currently used to prevent clinical cases of this disease” Tzianabos AO, Cisnerol RL, et al; “Protection against intra-abdominal sepsis by two polysaccharide immonumodulators (Beta 1,3/1,6 glucan),” J Infect Dis, 178:1,200-6. 1998.
MG promotes the growth of immune cells including Macrophages and Lymphocytes, while enhancing the function of NK Lymphocytes and the defense response of T-Lymphocytes. MG Glucan potentiates the ability of Macrophages to function as Phagocytes to remove cellular debris and damaged cells from the point of incision after surgery and to minimize the cellular damage caused by pharmaceutical drugs used during surgery
“…glucan enhances the immune response through stimulation of macrophages by increasing their number, size, and function, stimulates secretion of lysozyme and TNF by activated macrophages, increases the phagocytosis of antigens, activates the formation of granulocyte and monocyte colonies, and factors increased activity of T and B lymphocytes, as well as complement activation.” Meira, D.A., et al; The Use of Glucan as Immunostimulant in the Treatment of Paracoccidioidomycosis; Am J. Trop Med Hyg 55(5), 496-503; 1996. Dept of Trop Dis, Dept of Microbio, State U of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
MG Glucan nutritionally enhances the ability of white immune cells to destroy dangerous fungi and detrimental Bacteria that enters the body during and after surgery.
“MG Glucan has been shown to enhance the envelopment and digestion (phagocytosis) of pathogenic microorganisms that cause infectious disease [including bacteria and fungi]…Laboratory studies have revealed the new MG Glucan is significantly effective at activating Macrophages, and via the Macrophages, the entire immune cascade including T-Cells and B-Cells.” Hunter K, Gault R, Jordan F, “Mode of Action of B-Glucan Immunopotentiators-Research Summary Release,” Department of Microbiology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Jan 2001.
MG Beta Glucan makes antibiotics work better by being an adjuvant or substance that in combination is better than a single substance used alone.
“This demonstration of bactericidal enhancement via oral dosing suggests an application for beta-1,3-glucan as a component in a combined modality with conventional anti-infective agents [primarily antibiotics]. Wyde, P., “Beta-1,3-glucan activity in mice: intraperitoneal and oral applications.” Baylor College of Medicine Research Report. 1989.
Beta glucan, through the stimulation of host defense systems, creates a more supportive environment within the body to assist the primary killing action of the conventional [antibiotic] agent.”
Coenzyme Q10, also called ubiquinone, is an essential compound to life produced in the body as a potent antioxidant. CoEnzyme Q10 is a key factor in the creation of energy, resulting in critical tissue oxygenation and circulation stimulation essential after surgery for recovery.
CoQ10 is found in virtually all cells of the human body as a molecular compound in the mitochondria; a long, oval-shaped part of cells that convert nutrients into energy, including in the heart, liver and skeletal muscles. CoQ10 promotes energy after surgery by functioning as a carrier to transfer electrons across the membrane of mitochondria, which are the energy generators in the body’s cells.
This action in turn generates the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the fuel that energizes cells in our body. Heart muscle cells have the greatest concentration of mitochondria at 5000 per cell, meaning CoQ10 is especially important in heart related surgeries.
In summary, CoQ10 production from the liver is often inhibited by drugs associated by surgery and must be supplemented in amounts of 200 to 600 mg per day preferably 10 days before and 30 days after surgery. Integral to the manufacturing of ATP, Co Q10 is needed to make energy available for all body processes to avoid fatigue and promote cellular recovery and its antioxidant activity.
Grape Seed Extract of 150-300 mg per day suggested nutritionally aids in reducing edema and inflammation that occurs following surgery due to the OPC content (Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins). Particularly effective in dental surgery recovery.
Vitamins including Vitamin A aids in counteracting immunosuppression and in accelerating wound recovery.
Vitamin B1 aids in counteracting Adrenal Insufficiency or hormonal imbalance, that occurs as a result of surgery.
Vitamin B5 accelerates wound recovery from incisions and aids with stress and fatigue factors.
Vitamin C of minimum 250 mg daily aids in reducing excessive post operative bleeding and aids in wound recovery from surgery.
Glutamine is one of the most important nutrients of all to supply to people before and after they have undergone Surgery. Glutamine reduces Inflammation. Glutamine concentrates in the Muscles comprising about 10% of total Muscle weight. Glutamine is important because Glutamine accelerates the healing of Wounds due to its role in the stimulation of Fibroblasts while reducing the sensation of Pain.
Glutamine stimulates the synthesis of endogenous Proteins within the Muscles, thereby facilitating Muscle Growth (i.e. it is anabolic). Glutamine can also prevent the breakdown of Proteins within the Muscles and Muscular Atrophy related to the intensive physical stress of surgery.
Arginine is an amino acid accelerates recovery from surgical trauma and benefits the immune response in promoting wound recovery.
Water of quality is both a proven pain reducer and essential to healing through cellular regeneration and digestive processes. Dehydration is common after surgery and anesthetic drugs are notorious for causing intense thirst.
Caprylic Acid of 600 mg daily as a beneficial fatty acid aids in minimizing fungal and mycotoxins invasion risk.
Proteolytic Enzymes including Bromelain, Chymotrypsin, Serrapeptase and Trypsin aid nutritionally in minimizing inflammation, edema and pain. Do not take 48 hours before or after surgery.
Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) is a nucleic acid that nutritionally accelerates recovery from surgery.
Probiotics: A potent probiotic of at minimum 15 billion CFU per serving replaces the good bacteria essential for nutrient delivery and to stop fungus from flourishing on the intestinal wall, particularly when antibiotics and many other drugs are a part of the hospital and surgery plan. Yes, you can take the probiotics while taking the antibiotics.
Homeopathics to use after surgery include Arnica helpful for most people, subject to health care professional review and approval. Dr. John Diamond, MD HMD, suggest homeopathic BHI Heel Traumeel and Zeel for minimizing acute and chronic pain, plus homeopathic Nux Vomica and Phosphorus to minimize liver irritation often resulting from anesthetic.
Foods include greens to keep the body less acidic, a common result of taking pharmaceutical drugs including antibiotics.
Turmeric nutritionally aids in minimizing inflammation occurring after surgery due to the polyphenol Curcumin content.
“God keeps His promise, and He will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, He will give you strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, mitigate, treat or prevent any disease.
For detailed research sources go to www.betaglucan.org, a non-commercial website dedicated to beta glucan research and information and go to the sections on “chemotherapy”, “radiation” and “cancer”.
About the Author: Frank Jordan has a post-graduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin and is a co-patent holder on U.S. patents issued or in application related to the immune response in conjunction with researchers at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, Dept. of Microbiology. Jordan also hosted a national Commentary and health call-in radio show broadcast M-F on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio .
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