Vitamin A plays a critical role in supporting postoperative recovery due to its impact on immune function, tissue repair, and inflammation reduction. By enhancing the integrity of skin and mucosal barriers, Vitamin A helps lower infection risk, an essential factor in surgical outcomes. Additionally, its role in collagen synthesis promotes wound healing and tissue regeneration, accelerating recovery time. As an antioxidant, Vitamin A helps reduce both inflammation and oxidative stress following surgery, further supporting healing. Furthermore, adequate Vitamin A intake may lower the incidence of complications such as adhesions. For these reasons, ensuring optimal Vitamin A levels can be a valuable component in achieving successful surgical outcomes and expediting patient recovery.

Mechanisms of Action and Benefits:

• Immune Function and Infection Prevention: Vitamin A enhances immune defenses by supporting the integrity of mucosal barriers and promoting the function of immune cells like macrophages and T cells. This is critical for reducing the risk of postoperative infections, which are common complications in surgical patients. 
• Tissue Repair and Wound Healing: Vitamin A is recognized for its role in promoting epithelial proliferation, stimulating fibroblast activity, supporting granulation tissue formation, enhancing angiogenesis, increasing collagen synthesis, and facilitating epithelialization and fibroplasia, all crucial for wound healing post-surgery. Studies show that patients with adequate Vitamin A levels experience better surgical wound healing and tissue regeneration. 
• Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Properties: Vitamin A’s role as an antioxidant helps reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, which are elevated during surgery due to tissue trauma. This reduction in inflammation can help mitigate postoperative complications and speed up recovery.
• Support for Skin and Epithelial Health: Vitamin A is necessary for maintaining the integrity of skin and mucosal tissues, making it vital for patients undergoing procedures involving the skin or requiring rapid epithelial tissue recovery, such as in reconstructive or gastrointestinal surgeries.

References:

1. Murat Gürbüz, Şule Aktaç, Understanding the role of vitamin A and its precursors in the immune system, Nutrition Clinique et Métabolisme, Volume 36, Issue 2, 2022, Pages 89-98
2. Zinder, R., Cooley, R., Vlad, L.G. and Molnar, J.A. (2019), Vitamin A and Wound Healing. Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 34: 839-849.
3. Polcz ME, Barbul A. The Role of Vitamin A in Wound Healing. Nutr Clin Pract. 2019;34(5):695-700
4. Geng J, Qian J, Si W, Cheng H, Ji F, Shen Z. The clinical benefits of perioperative antioxidant vitamin therapy in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: a meta-analysis. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2017;25(6):966-974. doi:10.1093/icvts/ivx178