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HOW SHOULD I PREPARE MYSELF PREVIOUS DAYS TO THE SURGERY? |
- One week
before surgery, you should avoid taking aspirin. Vitamin E and omega
-3.
- If patient is a smoker
you should stop smoking at least 15 days before surgery and if you
are an occasional smoke one week before.
- If it is a corporal surgery
it would be ideal to increase your food intake containing iron such
as: sugar beet, liver, spleen, spinach, blackberry and strawberry.
- Take Vitamin C (tablets
of 1000 mg) three times per day with the meals one week before as
it helps the cicatrization process.
- If you are having a surgery
to reduce measurements, it is advisable to have a healthy food diet
before surgery and do not increase carbohydrates ingest as this
not only increases your weight but also promotes liquids retention.
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WHAT ARE THE RISKS IN A PLASTIC SURGERY? |
Like any surgery there
are risks that change depending on the procedure and shall be discussed
with the surgeon before the surgery.
In general, aesthetics surgeries are less
risky than any other surgeries as it is being working with healthy
patients, with no disease or if they have it, they shall be completely
compensated. To be sure about it, the patient shall perform some
pre-surgical tests and be assessed by the anesthesiologist who finally
shall give the authorization for the surgery performance.
Besides, the specialized aesthetic surgical
centers count with several preventive technologies that also help
to avoid complications.
The best before any surgery is to have
a good communication with your surgeon and anesthesiologist to feel
at ease before the procedure.
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IS THE ANESTHESIA RISKY? |
In recent times, anesthesia
has advanced in a very important way that those complications that
we all feared before, in this moment are preventable and easily
handled.
In plastic surgery anesthesiologists use
the most advanced medicaments and last monitoring equipment to assure
a very good surgical environment and a satisfactory postoperative.
Most anesthetics used in this moment are IV, which are placed in
the vein to assure its rapid elimination and decrease the risk of
going deep into the patient or to have side effects on his/her awakening.
Additionally, effects such as vomit and dizziness also are controlled
by the anesthesiologist, as well as postoperative pain management.
Above all, the most important issue is
a complete assessment from the anesthesiologist to assure a good
medical condition for the procedure.
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IS THE POSTOPERATIVE TOO PAINFUL? |
Slight pains in postoperative
depends on each procedure. Some only experience discomfort like
nose or eyelids surgery and others are a little bit more painful
like liposuction or breasts or buttocks implants surgery, but using
current analgesics and advance pain management that anesthesiologists
dedicated to aesthetic surgery have all are completely controllable.
On the other hand, for those patients presenting
a lower pain threshold exist a pain management plan during the following
24 or 48 hours that use permanent pain control pumps supervised
by nurses and anesthesiologists. There is an additional cost to
the traditional package.
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HOW LONG WILL MY RECOVERY BE IN THE PLASTIC SURGERY? |
Depends on each surgery,
some only requires few days to one week like nose, eyelids, and
cheeks surgeries, small liposuctions, breast augmentation, eyebrows
lift and chin. Others require at least two weeks such as: lipectomy
and mini-lipectomy, breast reduction or breast lift, buttocks implants,
facial rejuvenescence, big liposuctions.
It is important to clarify with the surgeon
the necessary time for your recovery to avoid undesired complications
and achieve optimal results.
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WHAT TYPE OF DIET SHOULD I FOLLOW AFTER THE SURGERY? |
In general you should have
a soft diet, taking into account the following:
- Liquids ingest shall be increased (in liposuctions we recommend
to take Gatorade as it helps you to recover potassium levels)
- Avoid acids on the first days
- Do not drink dairy products the first two days
- Avoid fats
- Increase your food consumption rich in iron such as liver, spleen,
blackberry and strawberry, sugar beet and spinach.
- It is important to eat every 3 hours even small portions. Remember
this is the only way you shall recover the energy lost.
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WHEN CAN I START EXERCISING? |
Usually, the patient can
exercise again the following month of the surgery when the first
phase reducing inflammation has been completed. You shall start
very gentle, ideally with cardiovascular exercises during 15 to
20 minutes the first days and then increase intensity and time the
following days.
There are some additional
restrictions:
- In breast augmentation surgery (if implants are retromuscular)
you should not exercise as it can compromise your bust, arms or
back until three months from the surgery.
- In patients with lipectomy or mini-lipectomy you should not perform
abs until you have completed three months of the surgery.
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WHEN CAN I START DRIVING? |
From the first week most
patients can drive again. There are restrictions for two weeks for
patients with lipectomy and breast reduction or lifting surgeries.
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WHEN CAN I GET A TAN OR USE THE TANNING BED? |
From the first month of
surgery, as long as the patient does not have any bruise or residual
pigmentation as these zones could stain with the sun. We recommend
placing two layers of micropore over the scars. These cares shall
be taken during the first 6 months, ideally, during the first complete
year.
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AFTER PREGNANCY, HOW LONG SHOULD I WAIT TO BE OPERATED? |
It would be ideal from
the sixth month of the postpartum as it is important to wait for
a proper retraction and reaccommodation of the tissues, preferably
should not be breastfeeding and had lost most part of the weight
gained during her pregnancy.
During those first months we recommend to
have a healthy diet; do some type of exercise; use bandeau postpartum;
moisturize quite well your skin; and take a lot of water (8 glasses
of water per day).
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