Why are patients given extra vitamin C before and after an operation?
We need vitamin C to help form scar tissue, so it’s not surprising that we need extra doses on such occasions. Indeed, following any injury (whether it’s a burn, a fracture or any operation) the levels of vitamin C in the body drop dramatically. Because of this, anybody due to have a major operation needs a good supply, so it’s common practice to give them doses of around 250mg per day for a few days before the operation and afterwards until the patient is back on his normal diet. Extra doses of vitamin C are often given to patients suffering from bed sores, too, because it assists the formation of collagen – and so scar tissue. There’s absolutely no evidence, though, that larger doses speed up the usual recovery process.
