#211: Beyond the Scalpel: How Two Surgeons Are Fighting Diabetes Before Surgery - Dr. Lily Johnston

#211: Beyond the Scalpel: How Two Surgeons Are Fighting Diabetes Before Surgery - Dr. Lily Johnston

59:44 Aug 19, 2025
About this episode
In this compelling discussion, vascular surgeon Dr. Lily Johnston joins Dr. Philip Ovadia to share her journey from traditional surgical practice to metabolic health advocacy. After years of amputating limbs for diabetic patients who received poor nutritional guidance, Dr. Johnston couldn't unsee the devastating consequences of our healthcare system's approach to metabolic disease. She explains how surgeons fix anatomical problems without addressing the underlying metabolic dysfunction that causes blood vessel disease throughout the body.Dr. Johnston discusses how therapeutic carbohydrate reduction, hormone optimization, sleep quality, and stress management create better outcomes than surgery alone. She shares personal insights about her own health transformation through low-carb nutrition and her decision to create a practice balancing surgery with preventive care. The conversation reveals how traditional heart and vascular surgeries are temporary fixes that don't address root causes, leaving patients vulnerable to recurring problems.This interview bridges the gap between conventional medicine and functional approaches to metabolic health, offering hope for those looking to avoid major surgical interventions through targeted lifestyle modifications.BIG IDEASurgeons like Dr. Johnston and Dr. Ovadia have recognized that vascular and cardiac surgeries are temporary fixes—like placing buckets under a leaky roof rather than repairing the roof itself—and are now focusing on metabolic health interventions that address the root causes of disease.Lily Johnston MD contact infoWebsites: www.vascularhealthinstitute.orgnexushealthspan.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ljohnstonmdSend Dr. Ovadia a Text Message. (If you want a response, you must include your contact information.) Dr. Ovadia cannot respond here. To contact his team, please send an email to team@ifixhearts.com Pre-Order Stay Off My Kitchen Table at Amazon. Like what you hear? Head over to IFixHearts.com/book to grab a copy of my book, Stay Off My Operating Table. Ready to go deeper? Talk to someone from my team at IFixHearts.com/talk.Stay Off My Operating Table on X: Dr. Ovadia: @iFixHearts Jack Heald: @JackHeald5 Learn more: Stay Off My Operating Table on Amazon Take Dr. Ovadia's metabolic health quiz:
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