Herbal remedies help or harm surgery

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Herbal remedies can help, harm surgery

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters Health)--Some herbal remedies may be helpful and others

harmful when used before or after surgery, an Arkansas researcher reported on

Monday at the American Academy of Dermatology meeting here.

One botanical product that has some scientific evidence supporting its use is

bromelain, Dr. Dinehart of the University of Arkansas in Little Rock

explained.

" Bromelain is made from the stem of the pineapple, " Dinehart said. Results

from well-designed studies published in reputable journals indicate that

bromelain can help prevent the bruising and bleeding under the skin, which

may occur after surgical procedures such as liposuction.

Taken orally, " bromelain is fairly inexpensive and it may be useful for

patients who are undergoing a skin operation, " Dinehart said.

Another potentially useful herbal remedy that has been studied is extract of

onion, Dinehart said.

At least in laboratory studies, extract of onion has been shown to inhibit

the production of fibroblasts, cells that are important contributors to scar

formation. He pointed out that " onion extract does help decrease scar

formation, so for patients who are undergoing skin or plastic surgery, this

extract may be useful to help minimize scarring. "

If patients want to use onion extract, they should take it right after

surgery because the product appears to be only of minimal benefit in the

cosmetic treatment of long-standing scars, Dinehart noted.

Another herbal remedy is horse chestnut seed extract, which may improve

peripheral circulation. Some studies suggest that horse chestnut seed extract

is comparable to compression, a technique long used to reduce leg swelling

and subsequent risk of ulceration, he added. Sold as an oral preparation,

" horse chestnut seed extract is relatively inexpensive and has few side

effects so it, too, offers potential benefits, " the researcher commented.

However, there are a number of widely used herbal remedies and food

supplements - ginger, ginkgo, garlic, feverfew, and vitamin E - that can

promote bleeding.

" Taken together with certain prescription medications such as warfarin and

aspirin, these supplements can lead to bleeding problems, including stroke, "

Dinehart cautioned.

The same products can also cause bleeding complications during surgery -

complications which may have been prevented had patients let their physician

know what they were taking prior to surgery, he pointed out.

And while not necessarily harmful, " there is no scientific evidence that

using vitamin E as a topical preparation helps in any way, and many people

break out in a rash if they rub vitamin E on the skin, " said Dinehart.

Herbal remedies should be avoided during pregnancy and they should not be

given to infants or children, he added.

Source: Neurology 1999;52:958-965.