I love looking stuff up on the Internet. I found some reliable looking (in my humble opinion anyway) articles report that Vitamin E prior to surgery is a bad idea and some say it is a good thing. I have commented in Red. Please don't take these quotes out of context, it is worth reading the articles in full, and ask your surgeons opinion I guess, he knows a whole lot more about this than I do!
And, good luck with the surgery, I'm sure it will be fine, they know what they are doing, and you'll be back on your feet in no time, I'm sure.
Here are some anti Vitamin E articles:
http://www.worldhealth.net/p/aadr-vitamin-e-tocopherol.html
"Vitamin E should not be taken in combination with anticoagulant drugs such as warfarin and aspirin."
"... people scheduled for elective surgery (including dental surgery) are advised to avoid supplementary vitamin E for two days before and after surgery."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10417589&dopt=Abstract
"Therefore we conclude that use of topical vitamin E on surgical wounds should be discouraged."
This article refers to the use of an externally applied cream with Vitamin E rather than oral supplements.
http://www.phudson.com/OTHER/HEALING/healingvitamins.html
- "Vitamin E
- May inhibit wound healing by decreasing the amount of collagen which is produced." This one lists deficiency in two vitamins as a bad thing, and then this comment about the presence of Vitamin E, rather than a defciency of it.
BUT, some articles say that Vitamin E is a good thing:
http://www.thenutritionreporter.com/vitamins_in_operations.html
"Patients with higher baseline, or initial, vitamin E levels were less likely to suffer free-radical injury to heart cells."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2078380&dopt=Abstract
"It is concluded that the degree of immunodepression in the postoperative period decreases in patients given vitamin E in the indicated dose before the operation."
For what it's worth, my opinion about this is that you should just stick to a regular healthy diet prior to surgery and you will have all the nutrition you need. Keep eating those greens! :-)
Joe