Are You Ready For Plastic Surgery?

So you’ve finally made the decision to get plastic surgery – or perhaps you’re getting close to a decision, but want to know how to prepare yourself. There are a few steps you can take between decision and surgery that’ll make the whole experience smoother and help you achieve better results. Here’s a checklist of some of the most important ones.

Be Healthy

• Stay Hydrated – Hydration is a crucial factor in the recovery phase, but it’s also important prior to your surgery. Drinking plenty of water (and water-rich foods) helps ensure that you’re healthy when the day of your surgery arrives.
• Avoid Aspirin If Possible – Aspirin has anticoagulant, or “blood thinning” effects. Do your best to avoid it in the two weeks prior to surgery. Other drugs worth avoiding are ibuprofin and other anti-inflammatories. (If a doctor has prescribed any of these drugs, you should always check with him or her before discontinuing it.)
• Avoid Alcohol  – Alcohol can partially suppress your immune system and also make you more susceptible to bleeding, so you should try to avoid it in the 72 hours before surgery.
• Avoid Smoking – Aside from weakening your body’s healing mechanisms by preventing enough oxygen from reaching the surgical site, smoking can increase the chance of complications during surgery. Try to cut back during the two weeks before and after your surgery.
• Find Ways To Relax – In recent years, the scientific community has started to realize just how much stress is a factor in things like wound recovery. If you can avoid stressful activities in the lead-up to surgery, you might find that your recovery time will be shorter, and the whole experience more pleasant.
• Eat Well – This advice has varying levels of complexity, depending on how serious you want to be. To put it simply – eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and protein-rich foods. At a deeper level, make sure you’re not deficient in any essential vitamins and minerals. Iron and B12 deficiencies are among the most common, and if you’re in doubt you can get your levels checked by a doctor fairly easily.

Do Your Research

Generally, the ideal preparation method is to do some research on your own, get a fair idea of what you want, and then discuss things with a plastic surgeon before making a final decision. The best surgeons will be able to help you decide what procedure is best for you – so an important part of your research should be to find the right surgeon! Look for doctors who are praised for their communication skills, experience, and high degree of specialization in the particular procedure you’re interested in (e.g. rhinoplasty if you want a nose job).

Plan The Day

Some procedures involve an anesthetic that’ll leave you unable to drive for a few hours after surgery. If this is the case, find someone who can give you a ride home. It’s always nice to see a familiar face after any sort of surgery.

Dr. Siegel is a facial plastic surgeon, and he’s always happy to help patients feel ready for surgery. To find out more about what you can do to prepare, contact him today!