Herbal supplements today are as common, if not more common, than prescription medications for many people. In my Indianapolis plastic surgery practice, most of my cosmetic patients are taking at least one herbal supplement. For most, the concept of using herbal supplements is that they can’t hurt and can only help. And since they don’t need a prescription, it is natural to believe that they don’t really pose any health risks. As such, herbal medications are assumed to be safe.
A recent report in the March/April issue of Aesthetic Surgery Journal finds that almost half of plastic surgery patients have used herbal supplements in the weeks before their upcoming surgery. Many of these include such ginkgo biloba, ginseng, garlic, echinacea, and valerian root. Most patients don’t know that these supplements can have side effects which are very relevant to surgery including interaction with other medications (anesthetic drugs) and alteration of one’s ability to clot properly. Despite the fact that the dangerous side effects of some herbal supplements have been widely publicized, many patients do not fully appreciate the importance of discontinuing these treatments before surgery. Furthermore, the unregulated manufacturing standards and lack of product regulations for the entire supplement industry can produce herbal supplements whose quality and actual contents vary considerably. Most of the time, nobody really knows what is actually inside those tablets.
As a result, I provide my patients prior to surgery a comprehensive list of supplements that must be avoided in the weeks before and after surgery to minimize potential surgical complications. Stopping certain herbal supplements prior to surgery is just as critical as stopping aspirin, ibuprofen, or plavix. One should stop taking them two weeks before and for one week after any major plastic surgery procedure that requires an anesthetic and is more than just a minor operation.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana