Pre-operative Nutrition

Welcome to your PRE-OPERATIVE PREPARATION HUB.

This resource is designed to answer common questions and guide you through your upcoming surgery to ensure a smooth procedure and successful recovery.

Remember, Dr. Deans' team is a call away for further guidance and clarification.

Download Deans Knee Replacement Protocol

Your body is preparing to heal, rebuild muscle, and regain mobility.

Good nutrition is an important part of that preparation.

PROTEIN

100-150 g/day minimum*

Start 3-4 weeks before surgery and continue about 3 months after.

HYDRATION

~ 2 liters/day*

FOOD QUALITY

Whole Foods First

Build most meals around minimally processed foods and an anti-inflammatory pattern.

* IMPORTANT: If you have kidney disease, heart failure, or have been told to limit protein or fluid intake, do not use these targets without checking with your medical team.

1. Make Protein the Priority

Protein provides the building blocks your body uses to maintain muscle and support healing after surgery. Recovery is not the time to unintentionally lose strength.

Practice goal: aim for 100-150 grams of protein each day for 3-4 weeks before surgery and continue this emphasis for about 3 months afterwards.

Include meaningful protein source at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Add 1-2 higher-protein snacks or a protein shake ifmeals are not enough.

Spread protein through the day instead of tyring to eat it all at once.

Food example Approx. protein

3–4 oz chicken, turkey or fish 25–30 g

1 cup Greek yogurt 15–20 g

1 cup cottage cheese 20–25 g

2 eggs ≈12 g

1 cup beans/lentils 14–18 g

Protein shake 20–30 g

2. Stay Hydrated

Good hydration support normal circulation, bowel function, appetite, and overall recovery. Our recovery materials use a practical target of about 2 liters of water per day.

Make hydration easier:

Start the day with a glass of water.

Keep a refillable bottle nearby.

Drink regularly throughout the day rather than catching up at night.

Increase attention to fluids if you are eating less, constipated, or more active.

3. Build Meals from Whole Foods

A mostly whole-food diet gives you protein, fibers, vitamins, minerals, and steady energy without relying heavily on highly processed foods.

Choose more often:

Lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, beans, lentils.

Vegetables and fruit of many colors.

Whole grains such as oats, brown rice, quinoa, and whole-grain bread.

Healthy fats such as olive oils, nuts, seeds, avocado.

Choose less often:

Sugary drinks and sweets.

Fast food and heavily friend foods.

Highly processed snack foods.

Large amounts of processed meats.

Think Mediterranean-style.

An anti-inflammatory eating pattern -- such as a Mediterranean-style diet-- focuses on vegetables, fruit, fish, olive oil, nuts, legumes, and whole grains. Ini our recovery program, this is encouraged before surgery and throught he early recovery period.

Institutional Clarification

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