How can be affected normal blood sugar level and the healing process during surgery?

QUESTION: My mother is type 2 diabetic and is going to have thyroid surgery. Her doctor is worried about her blood sugar level during and after surgery. Why?


ANSWER: As you may know, carbs are those that provide energy for the organism. This energy is used for building new proteins, for fighting with certain infections and for every movement of your body.

Healing process after surgery is very difficult time for the organism, because it needs lot of carb just to synthesize new proteins and to fight with the some possible infections.

  • During a surgery, the surgeon damages specific tissues and the organism needs additional carb to recover. The new proteins will be formed when the organism has sufficient amount of carbs. That is the reason why the organism will extract more carbs, in this case glucose, from the blood that will fall down.

    It is quite possible for the patient to develop a condition know as hypoglycemic coma, if the patient does not absorb sufficient amount of carbs. This is the main reason why the patient should eat meals which are rich in carbs, especially glucose, fructose and etc.

    This is the best way for him to maintain blood glucose under control. That is how his organism will recover from the operation really fast.

  • The other thing which can affect the blood glucose level is the possible infection. As you may know, during the operation certain sterile tissues are damaged and this is a possible enter-gate for the micro organisms.

    The organism has to fight with these micro organisms and for that reason he needs a lot of carbs to provide him enough energy to fight with them.

    The fight with these micro organisms is related with synthesizing of certain proteins called immunoglobulins. These proteins are forming the immune defense of the organism.

    In conclusion, keeping normal blood sugar level is very important for the healing processes during and after surgery.

    Hope it helped!

    Dr.Alba



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    What to do if insulin is high and no diabetes

    by Sushmita
    (Kolkata)

    QUESTION: Sir , I'm 30 yr and my weight is 150 kg. I have done all my tests, which results everything normal but my insulin is high.

    My doctor prescribed medicine is GLYCIPHAGE SR AND FOLVITE. I started my workout in gym recently, so what are the precautions I should take. I wish you will reply me.


    ANSWER: Hi Sushmita,

    To me, your high insulin levels mean that your body is producing insulin (by pancreas) but your body cells cannot recognize it or do not respond to insulin effects very well.

    In simple words, you insulin is gone through peripheral resistance, which justifies its high blood levels. Your diagnose is insulin resistance.

    To me, you are taking Glucophage SR (not gluciphage SR) (correct me if I am wrong), which is on the brand names for Metformin. Actually, Metformin is advised to be used in insulin resistance in order to prevent type 2 diabetes onset.

    Folvite is the brand name for oral folic acid. If your blood tests were ok (except for high insulin), your doctor is giving folvite in order to prevent any heart problem. Perhaps your doctor has seen that you have hyperhomocysteinemia (high homocystein levels in the blood).

    Actually, hyperhomocysteinemia is correlated with thrombosis and acute myocardial infarction. And according to some studies, asian Indians (since you are from Kolkata)are mostly at risk for these diseases, especially when it is associated with insulin resistance and other problems.

    That is why your doctor has prescribed these medications to you. Keep on with exercising and losing weight, conducting a healthy lifestyle and diet and you will have your insulin levels normal again and will not have any problem with type 2 diabetes in future. That's the right insulin resistance treatment and right way of reversing insulin resistance.

    Take care!

    Dr.Alba

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