Avoiding IBD Surgery
By Andrew Gaeddert
Over 60 percent of Crohn’s patients will have surgery, 20 percent of ulcerative colitis patients will go under the knife. Surgery is usually recommended when drugs are not effective for bleeding, fistulas, infections and strictures in the intestines. Oftentimes surgeons and gastroenterologists disagree as to when surgery should be conducted. As the current medications used in the treatment of Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis are more expensive and have more serious side effects, surgeons usually recommend bowel surgery, while gastroenterologists are usually comfortable with using steroids, and other strong acting drugs in order to induce remission. Although colon cancer and perforation require surgery, for most patients surgery is an elective procedure. Even though clients can usually go to the bathroom normally, surgery instills fear in patients. “Fear of the unknown, fear of disfigurement, fear of needing a permanent ileostomy, fear of incontinence with the pouch, fear of death from surgery, fear of changes in interpersonal relations,” said Dr. Stephen Hanauer, chief of gastroenterology and nutrition at the University of Chicago Medical Center.1
Unfortunately most gastroenterologists are not aware of the benefits of herbal medicine. The herbal formula Isatis Cooling™ has been used for two decades in order to reduce inflammation and cramping. Isatis Cooling treats infections, regulates fluid metabolism, increases blood circulation and removes endotoxins. Isatis Cooling is usually combined with Formula H™ for intestinal bleeding, Colostroplex™ for chronic diarrhea and Quiet Digestion™ or Chzyme™ to help improve digestive function. There are more protocols in my upcoming title, Healing Digestive Disorders, 4th edition.
Notes
- health.nytimes.com/ref/healthguide/esn-ulcerativecolitisess. html, accessed on 6/25/08.
No surgery is without risk
By Andrew Gaeddert
No surgery is without risk, especially for seniors. For older patients, one frequent side effect of surgery is the loss of cognitive function. Duke University researchers conducted a study of 354 surgical patients sixty years of age or older. Fifty-nine percent experienced cognitive declines when they were discharged from the hospital. Three months later thirty-four percent remained cognitively impaired1. Loss of cognitive function occurs frequently in patients who are anesthetized for two hours or more. Heart surgery, joint replacement and fracture repairs are typical examples of common surgeries that require more than two hours of anesthesia.
Patients at high risk for cognitive dysfunction after surgery are those who have already experienced memory problems or other cognitive difficulties prior to surgery. Also at risk are people who have heart disease, hypertension, or who smoke or drink alcohol excessively.
One of the most promising nutritional strategies is Cogni-Spark™. In eleven trials conducted on dementia, five on stroke and one on surgery-related cognitive damage, Cogni-Spark produced significant improvement and was well tolerated. There is evidence that Cogni-Spark improves attention, concentration, recall and mood. It also helps brain recovery and promotes detoxification. It has been successfully used by all ages.
In an Italian trial of patients receiving open heart surgery, forty-five percent showed reduced performance by neuropsychological testing. These twenty patients were randomized into two groups; those receiving Cogni-Spark (Alpha GPC) via injection had no significant residual memory deterioration while the placebo group continued to exhibit memory impairments2. Whether injected or given my mouth Cogni-Spark raises blood and brain choline levels for an extended period of time. In young healthy humans, oral dosing was well absorbed and markedly increased the plasma levels of choline for up to ten hours. Of the more than 4,000 patients who received Cogni-Spark (Alpha GPC) in clinical trials, there were no serious adverse events. Alpha GPC is naturally present in all the body’s cells, tissues and organs. For additional benefits of Cogni-Spark see my article: Cogni-Spark: A New Anti-Aging Treatment Strategy for Vascular Dementia and Improved Mental Performance (healthconcerns.com).
Surgical Recovery
By Andrew Gaeddert
Before my Achilles heel surgery I was told: “Make sure not to eat or drink anything after midnight as you are having surgery tomorrow. If you have anything in your stomach we will need to reschedule your surgery.” After the operation, I was badly dehydrated and I thought this was the usual example of medical advice that was not evidenced based. Little did I, or my doctors know that the American Society of Anesthesiologists changed their guidelines in 1999.
The new guidelines are that clear liquids are allowed two to three hours before surgery and a light breakfast can be consumed six hours before an elective surgery in healthy patients. In my recent seminar, Accelerating Surgical Recovery, I discussed several methods for improved surgical healing, including the use of herbs such as Resinall K™ and Resinall E™ to help remove swelling, stop bleeding and to reduce inflammation. We also discussed the use of Channel Flow® herbal formula as an alternative to standard pain medication.
In Northern California one of the most frequently prescribed medicines after surgery is Vicodin. Vicodin is a centrally acting opiate analgesic often containing hydrocodone with Tylenol (acetaminophen). Typical adverse effects include dehydration, constipation, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, euphoria, dysphoria and itching. Less common reactions include abnormal dreams, slurred speech, shallow breathing and altered vision. For these reasons, it may make sense to consider alternate treatments such as NSAIDs and the herbal preparation Channel Flow, which has pain relieving and anti-inflammatory effects.
As pain is typically more severe at night, one way of introducing herbs is to take Channel Flow during the day and pain medications at night. Channel Flow contains specially processed corydalis (yan hu suo). Corydalis, in comparison to morphine, has a slower onset and weaker analgesic effect, however it has not been associated with signs or symptoms related to dependence.1 It has been shown to have sedative and muscle relaxant properties in animal studies. Channel Flow combines corydalis and a traditional formula indicated for moderate and severe pain. [You can download my talk Accelerating Surgical Recovery: healthconcerns.com.]
Notes
- Chang, But, Pharmacology and Application of Chinese Materia Medica, World Scientific Publishing Pte Ltd, Philadelphia PA, 1986, p 619