Before having plastic surgery, several steps will help to prepare beforehand, whether having a facial or body procedure. The surgeon aims to align preprocedural prep with a skillful and safe surgical process to encourage optimum recovery.
Credentialed professionals like plastic surgeon Georgios Orfaniotis provide explicit guidelines to set patients up for success. Highly qualified doctors maintain the standards and training consistent with board-certified plastic surgeons.
Without these credentials, patients risk botched procedures with complications inclusive of life-threatening infections. Doctors may claim the specialty of plastic surgery, but confirming the certification, researching recognition, and reviews will attest to the services of a respected professional.
What do surgeons of this caliber expect when preparing for plastic surgery to ensure the smoothest recovery process? Let’s examine a few key elements.
Tips on Pre-procedure Planning for Plastic Surgery
Highly qualified plastic surgeons aim for successful procedures, including a positive recovery. Part of coming to that end is aligning an adequate preprocedural plan with a skillfully performed and safe surgery.
The surgical specialist will have explicit guidelines and expect that these be followed for those who anticipate good results.
Learn what you should know about plastic surgery risks at https://www.webmd.com/beauty/what-to-know-about-plastic-surgery-risks, and then consider these steps as part of the preprocedural process.
- Smoking cessation
The primary step and critical for this or any surgical procedure is smoking cessation. Smoking puts you at a considerably higher risk with and following the operation, even if you smoke just once in the days prior.
This is due to the blood flow restriction from nicotine and the cells being neglected of oxygen, causing possible severe complications. Tobacco products should be avoided prior to and following surgery until full recovery has been achieved.
- Alcohol consumption
While alcohol is less dangerous than nicotine, the consumption (two weeks leading up to the surgery) can contribute to risks. Alcohol reacts by thinning the blood, which can result in excessive bleeding with the operation. That effect can make it challenging to heal.
- Caffeine
Caffeine is among the most prominent drugs Americans consume primarily because it’s not viewed as a drug. Despite the overwhelming acceptance of energy drinks, coffee, and other caffeinated products, the substance is one that can drastically have an impact on the body.
If the bloodstream reads high levels of the drug when it’s time for a surgical procedure, this can create the potential for complications.
Because caffeine is a stimulant, the heart rate will rise along with the blood pressure. In small amounts, caffeine can be helpful in the recovery process—however, greater than two cups each day in the week before the operation could induce complications.
If you have a high intake, reduce it gradually in the weeks beforehand to get it to no more than two cups each day in the week prior.
You should maintain following the procedure for roughly two weeks while recovering. Your surgeon could change the guideline based on your health status and the surgical procedure. Go here for a guide on cosmetic surgery.
- Supplements/vitamins
Among the primary risks faced with surgery is an adverse reaction between a patient’s daily regimen of vitamins, supplements, or medications and those provided for the procedure.
The complications can be simple or possibly deadly. Anything taken should be cleared by the surgeon before the operation, roughly two weeks before, to allow time for these to leave the system if the provider wants them stopped.
Before stopping a current regimen, speak with the prescribing physician to ensure it will be safe to do so for this period of time.
Final Thought
When outlining the plan for preprocedural, it’s wise to plan for recovery at the same time. The surgeon will be able to go over the details of the surgery and let you know what you can expect following the procedure. Some surgeries, like a tummy tuck, will have a more extended recovery than others.
With liposuction, the areas you intend to target will be left with incisions. You want to place the least tension and stress on these areas for the recovery period.
A priority when recovering is to reach out to the plastic surgeon if any issues or complications arise so they can be addressed immediately.
