Major surgery is a huge stress on your body. Improving your lifestyle and activity levels can help reduce this stress and reduce the chance of complications following surgery. This will help get you back on your feet sooner and back to your life.

Below is a range of advice on improving your activity and reducing the amount you smoke and drink alcohol. 

Having surgery can have similar effects on your body to running a marathon so the fitter you are before you have your surgery, the easier your body will be able to cope with it.

Anything you do to increase your fitness before surgery will help your recovery afterwards. Increasing your activity levels can reduce your chance of developing a complication by up to 50%.

For example:

  • Try and increase the distance that you walk each day (Use a pedometer try and increase the number of steps you walk each day. Aim for 8000-10,000).
  • Take the stairs rather than the lift.
  • Make your housework more energetic!
  • If you regularly attend a gym, speak to your exercise instructor who can modify your routine.

Any increase in physical activity makes a difference but choose realistic goals for yourself and choose something you enjoy.

Whatever you choose to do, the activity should be enough to get you a little out of breath and/or feel your heart rate increase and/or get a little sweaty.

Abstinence (not drinking alcohol at all) for 3 - 8 weeks before surgery significantly reduces your risk of complications after surgery. 

  • Men and women should not drink more than 14 units each week
  • If you drink more than 4 units a day you are 50% more likely to get a complication after your operation. 

If you think you may need some additional support with this, our Alcohol Specialist Nurse Service is here to help. Please telephone 023 9228 6000 Ext 5403.  

Units of Alcohol:

  • 25ml of spirits = 1 unit
  • Alcopop (275ml) = 1.5 units
  • Bottle of lager/beer/cider (330ml ABV 5%) = 1.7 units
  • Can of lager/beer/cider (440ml ABV 5.5%) = 2 units
  • Standard glass of wine (175ml ABV 12%) = 2.1 units
  • Large glass of wine (250ml ABV 12%) = 3 units
  • Pint of lower-strength lager/beer/cider (ABV 3.6%) = 2 units
  • Pint of higher-strength lager/beer/cider (ABV 5.2%) = 3 units

If you smoke please use this time before your surgery as an opportunity to cut down or stop smoking completely. As well as making you healthier in the long run, this will really cut down your risks of having a complication after surgery.

Although it is best to quit at least 8 weeks before surgery, there are still benefits from quitting even 24 to 48 hours before your operation.  

  • After 8 hours – your blood oxygen levels return to normal
  • After 24 hours – carbon monoxide is eliminated from your body

You can get further help and advice from your GP 

Return to surgery school homepage

Further information and advice