21 Nov Preparing for Plastic Surgery
An important aspect of having a successful outcome following plastic surgery is preoperative preparation. As part of a preoperative visit, a surgeon will discuss instructions as to what to do and not to do before surgery.
Thirty days before surgery Depending on the patient’s age and presence of medical problems, some patients may need to undergo a preoperative medical clearance which is performed by the patient’s primary care physician or cardiologist. It is important not to smoke before surgery and during the healing period after surgery. For Los Angeles Facelift, tummy tuck, and other plastic surgery procedures, smoking decelerates the healing and increases the risk of complications. There is no clear evidence as to how long the patient should not smoke prior to surgery. However, many physicians recommend avoiding smoking for at least a month prior to surgery.
Two to three weeks before surgery The surgeon will review patient’s medications and instruct which medication should be continued and stopped. Blood thinners such as aspirin, plavix, coumadin, ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) medications would need to be stopped at least 10-14 days before surgery. In most patients, medications for blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid problems can be continued. Many dietary and herbal supplement need to be stopped 2-3 weeks prior to surgery as they may increase bleeding and bruising. Some these common supplements include Ginkgo, Ginseng, Garlic, Vitamin E, Fish oil (Omega 3 Fatty acids). Alcohol should also be avoided at least 2 weeks prior to surgery as it may also increase bleeding. Many weight loss medications may interfere with anesthesia and should also be stopped 2 weeks prior to surgery. Birth control pills may increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in legs) especially in longer operations such as Los Angeles tummy tuck, large volume liposuction, and other Los Angeles body contouring procedures. Many Los Angeles Plastic surgeons may recommend stopping births control pills two weeks prior to surgery. For shorter procedures such as Los Angeles rhinoplasty or breast augmentation, birth control pills can be continued.
Day before surgery The day before surgery, the patient should review all preoperative and postoperative instruction sheets, including the directions to the hospital/surgical facility and the time of arrival. For same day surgery, the patient needs to have an adult person take the patient home and have someone take care of the patient at home during the initial postoperative period. Eight hour prior to surgery, the patient needs to stop eating or drinking. The morning of surgery, the patient can brush his/her teeth and take a shower while avoiding using body lotions or deodorants.