I'm having liposuction and was told to take omega 3 and vitamin C before surgery. Is this okay?

Hello,There is no evidence that vitamins will help make you more healthy or have a better outcome after surgery. However, there is an abundance of evidence of the harm from a variety of supplements.  Unless you are malnourished, you do not need to take them. Best of luck!

If you have any questions about your surgeon's recommendations, I recommend following up with your practitioner. Each Doctor will have their preferred protocol. For best results with liposuction, I recommend a hi definition procedure like VASER liposuction. I use VASER HI DEF with ThermRF and fat grafting to get the most fat removal, skin tightening, contour and definition. This combination will give you the most toned result. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with a hi definition physique expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Dear isbelly,every plastic surgeon has his own preoperative protocol which he recommends to his patients. I would suggest you to discuss this with your plastic surgeon.Daniel Barrett, MD, MHA, MS 
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery  
Member, Am. Society of Plastic Surgery

If this was recommended by your surgeon then you should be following his/her instructions. When you have similar questions or even concerns, contact your surgeon for answers or explanations.Steven Turkeltaub, MD

Great question!  The philosophy is not to use anything that has an effect on blood coagulation - affecting bleeding during surgery and bruising after surgery.  The most important of these is aspirin, and since the effect of even one baby aspirin lasts 9-13 days in our system, it is prudent to not take any aspirin for two weeks before a procedure (even Botox and fillers).  Others to avoid are fish oil, vitamin E, gingko and garlic pills, omega 3, and anything that you don't know the ingredients of.  I ask patients to refrain from taking these for one week before surgery.  Vitamin C is fine, as is D.  This is some evidence that bromelain and arnica montana may decrease bruising so these may be helpful around the time of surgery.  Cheers,Brad Remington, MD

I recommend following your doctor’s instructions. Unless someone is vitamin depleted which is unusual in this country, vitamin supplements have no impact on the overall health and healing.For people who do not have a diverse diet, vitamin supplements can be helpful. Best, Mats Hagstrom M.D.