How soon prior to surgery should I start taking arnica & eat pineapple? Can I continue to take C, D, probiotics & zinc?

You should discuss what medications, supplements, and vitamins you are taking, both prescription and over the counter, with your plastic surgeon and have him or her decide what you should and should not be taking. Your surgeon should be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and ideally a member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) ) or the Canadian Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (CSAPS).


Robert Singer, MD FACS

La Jolla, California

Although some surgeons still sell them, or speak highly about them, homeopathic remedies have no place in medicine. Arnica does nothing, as proven by many well designed studies. As for the rest, supplements have shown to have limited to no value either in wellness. Most recently, two well designed prospective randomized studies that enrolled thousands of individuals and followed them for almost a decade showed no clinical value in taking vitamin D and/or omega 3 fatty acids. The truth is that the multibillion dollar supplement industry has no scientific evidence to justify its existence.