Frequently Asked Questions

Many clinical studies have shown that major surgery places unique nutritional demands on the body that cannot easily be met through a healthy, balanced diet alone. The unique ingredients found in IMPACT Advanced Recovery® Drink have been proven to support immune function, which can help your body recover from surgery. During a time of critical need, such as major surgery, providing these additional nutrients can help meet the body's demand and help recovery.

No. IMPACT Advanced Recovery® Drink is different from a typical protein drink or an energy shake. IMPACT Advanced Recovery® Drink is a specially formulated immunonutrition surgery drink, and the only immunonutrition product clinically proven through dozens of studies with thousands of patients to be beneficial for surgery recovery in a variety of major surgeries including: Gastrointestinal Cancer, Head and Neck Cancer, and Cardiac. Clinically proven is important – it means it works.

A special kind of nutrition that is formulated to support your body’s immune function and help manage inflammation.

You can ask your doctor for his or her opinion on the benefits of adding a surgical nutrition drink to your preoperative “to-do” list. Because IMPACT Advanced Recovery® Drink is to be used under medical supervision, you can print and share this fact sheet with your doctor. It can help highlight the many ways that IMPACT Advanced Recovery® Drink can help reduce the risk of complications after major surgery. Be sure to also discuss any special dietary needs or restrictions with your doctor.

IMPACT Advanced Recovery® Drink has been studied in multiple types of major surgery including: Gastrointestinal Cancer, Head and Neck Cancer, Cardiac, Bladder Cancer, Gynecological Cancer, Major Hernia Repair, Hip Replacement and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. The product is not recommended when immune suppression is desired, so it is important to ask your doctor if IMPACT Advanced Recovery® Drink would be right for your type of major surgery. You can share this helpful fact sheet with your doctor to help them decide if IMPACT Advanced Recovery® Drink is right for you.

Be sure to discuss your recommended regimen with your doctor. Based on the literature supporting use of this product, in order to get the maximum benefits, the recommended intake is 3 cartons per day for 5 days before your surgery and 5 days after your surgery.

Yes. IMPACT Advanced Recovery® Drink is proven to show better outcomes in people who drink it before major surgery. However, there are added benefits from including it in your post-surgery diet too. Talk with your doctor to understand the appropriate regimen for you.

Make sure you have specific instructions from your doctor related to the appropriate diet before surgery and how many hours before surgery you need to stop eating and drinking. Your doctor may advise you to finish drinking your servings of IMPACT Advanced Recovery® Drink the day before surgery.

It is recommended that you continue to take 3 cartons for a total of 5 days after. Be sure to discuss an appropriate regimen with your doctor. If the product is not available at the hospital, ask about bringing your drinks with you.

The refreshing vanilla flavor is especially good when you drink it cold. You can also find recipes here to easily create more flavor options.

Your doctor may provide you with the product directly from the clinic, a pharmacy on site or through a home care company. You can also order IMPACT Advanced Recovery® Drink with free ground delivery to your home at the Nestlé Nutrition Store – or by calling 1-888-240-2713. It is also available online at Amazon.com

Because this product is intended to be used under medical supervision, be sure to consult with your doctor prior to purchasing to make sure this product is right for you

From a reimbursement perspective, this product is considered an oral nutrition supplement and most insurance plans do not cover it. However, an increasing number of facilities provide it free of charge to patients, so be sure to ask if this is provided at your healthcare center.

Arginine, Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Nucleotides are found naturally in many foods. However, the way your body may digest or absorb these nutrients could affect how much of the active ingredients you are getting in each serving. IMPACT Advanced Recovery® Drink is specially formulated to make sure you are obtaining the level of these ingredients that are clinically proven to be effective in surgical recovery.

Based on the USDA food composition database, if you were to obtain the ingredients from food or supplement you would need to consume around 2 pounds of turkey breasts, 3 cups of peanuts or around 3 packages of an arginine powder per day to meet the level of Arginine found in a daily serving. To meet the level of Omega-3 Fatty Acids (EPA+DHA) found in a daily serving, you would need to consume two or three 3oz servings of Atlantic salmon, 2-3 tablespoons of salmon oil or 5-6 fish oil supplement capsules per day.

A number of studies have been completed on the effect of fish oil and the Omega-3 Fatty Acids in fish oil (EPA+DHA). Even when taken with blood thinning medication, the use of fish oil has not been found to cause bleeding time to extend beyond the normal range for healthy individuals. Be sure to follow your doctor’s orders regarding fish oil supplementation.

Every carton of IMPACT Advanced Recovery® Drink is labeled with the statement “Not indicated when immune suppression is desired”. Only your doctor can interpret what this means, but in general, the product is not recommended in patients having surgery who are pregnant, having an organ transplant or prescribed medications to decrease their immune function. IMPACT Advanced Recovery® Drink is intended for use under medical supervision. It is important to ask your doctor if it is right for you.