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Things Patients Should and Shouldn’t Do Before Plastic Surgery

Plastic surgery can be a life-changing experience for many of those who choose to indulge in it and should, therefore, be treated like any other major surgery in the medical field. However, for the procedure to be a success, you as the patient have to play the most significant role in making sure that the doctor’s instructions are adhered to before and after the surgery as well.

As much as doctors provide the necessary guidelines on how or what to do when it comes to plastic surgery options, people tend to focus more on the dos while putting less effort on the don’ts. This habit has had them thinking that if you are only to major on the prohibited practices, your surgery will turn out to be successful even after forgetting about the prohibited habits. Here are some of the things, just as a reminder, that one should and should not do before and after undergoing the procedure. 

Before the procedure

  • Avoid smoking

Nicotine and tobacco are termed hazardous before a major surgery such as plastic surgery. Nicotine tends to constrict blood flow within your body, affecting the surgical process and your ability to recover correctly. Even smoking substitutes such as nicotine patches or gum are no better as the substance in them tends to complicate the medical procedure. It is, therefore, advisable to quit or significantly reduce smoking weeks before the surgery.

  • Avoid certain medication

Many of those prescribed over-the-counter medicines can increase the chances of excessive bleeding during the operation and thus lead to complications. Medicines containing aspirin, anti-inflammatory elements, or even anti-coagulants, should be added to the list of drugs to avoid.

  • Avoid alcoholic drinks and other specific beverages

Alcohol can drastically increase your chances of bleeding during the surgery while beverages such as green tea are known to increase blood pressure, accelerate heart rates, and at times, it can react negatively to anesthesia.

  • Avoid certain herbal supplements

Certain herbal supplements might increase bleeding during and after surgery, while at times, others may prolong the effects of anesthesia.

  • Avoid withholding necessary information

Changes in your medical history or new forms of allergies and items or conditions that weren’t included in your old medical history should be given to the doctor before the surgery to ensure that the necessary corrections are made. This will help avoid any inconveniences that may unexpectedly arise from these conditions that the doctor wasn’t informed about. 

After the procedure

This is the recovery period after your surgery, and there are things you should avoid, which include:

  • Stay away from hot tubs and swimming pools

Until the surgical sites are fully healed, it is recommended that you avoid swimming and hot tubs as they can tamper with the healing process and delay the process.

  • Avoid any gymnastics activities

Lifting weights in the gym needs to be avoided as such activities can cause muscle tears or bleeding in the surgical wounds. This can then result in infection when the injuries are exposed to bacteria.

  • Avoid direct exposure to the sun

Use sunblock containing UVA and UVB protection when exposed to the sun’s rays as they can be damaging to the skin and especially skin that has undergone plastic surgery.

  • Avoid any anti-inflammatory medicines or aspirin

These medicines might interfere with your doctor’s prescription exposing you to more risk and thus delaying your healing process.

Final thoughts

Periods from the time of surgery to complete recovery differs between people as everyone’s body responds to medical procedures differently. You, therefore, must follow the doctor’s instructions to the latter. For more info, visit coastalcarehospital.com

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