Which Herbal Supplements Can Interfere with Surgery

On the day before surgery, the patient about to "go under the knife" receives a visit from at least two different health professionals. He or she gets a visit from the physician who will be directing and performing the surgery. The patient also gets a visit from the anesthetist. Those two doctors ask the patient if he or she has been taking any medications.

In many cases, patients who are taking herbal supplements fail to mention that fact before being wheeled into the surgery room. That failure can put the patient in a life-threatening situation. Certain herbal supplements can interfere with surgery.

Members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons have real reason to be concerned about the failure of patients to report the use of herbal supplements. A study reported in a journal that is widely read by the Society members disclosed some unsettling facts. That study showed that 55% of the patients who get plastic surgery use herbal supplements. That fact contrasts with the figure of 24%, the proportion of people in the general public who use herbal supplements.

A number of commonly-used herbal supplements should be avoided during the 2 to 3 weeks prior to surgery. Certain herbal medications can affect the body's normal ability to halt undue blood loss. Certain herbal medications can interfere with the body's normal blood-clotting process.

Garlic, which has been praised as a way to affect serum lipids, also interferes with a beneficial action performed by another blood component, the platelets. Supplements with garlic can inhibit the aggregation of platelets. When platelets fail to aggregate after surgery, the patient's surgical wounds do not heal properly.

Ginko, another popular supplement also interferes with the healing process. Ginko does not halt the aggregation of platelets; it causes a decrease in platelet production. When a surgery patient does not have a normal number of platelets, that patient has surgical wounds that are slow to heal.