A plastic surgery must be prepared on a psychological and technical level. The success of your surgery depends on both your plastic surgeon and you.
Preoperative consultation
The first point is to trust your plastic surgeon. A well-prepared operation must have a preoperative consultation.
During the consultation, you will express in detail what you want. You should have no regrets and clearly explain to your surgeon your expectations. Most misunderstandings between patient and surgeon come from a lack of explanation. So don’t be afraid to have specific requests and detailed explanations.
You must be able to describe exactly the result you would like to obtain and your surgeon should explain clearly what it is possible to obtain or what he will not be able to achieve according to your case and the detailed examinations that will be carried out.
The right moment for cosmetic surgery
You must have everything set up so that the procedure is done at the right moment.
Plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery is a time for yourself. It is necessary to arrange a sufficient period of time off work. The after-effects are as important as the procedure itself and poor postoperative conditions can have an impact on the final result. It is important to allow time for healing.
This period must be free of stress.
It is important to have planned for childcare before, during and after the operation, and to have planned for possible help at home for daily life tasks during convalescence.
Sports activities are also stopped during the two months following the operation, so it is necessary to suspend your usual sports activities.
The ideal weight for the procedure
Most procedures should be performed at the ideal weight for several reasons :
– Excess weight is not recommended for most procedures because it increases the risk of complications
– A cosmetic surgery procedure has never allowed you to lose weight. Cosmetic surgery is used to repair the after-effects of weight loss or to remove areas that have resisted to sport and diet.
– An ideal weight allows the result of the operation to be maintained over time.
Eliminating risk factors
Eliminating risk factors for complications is essential and your surgeon will insist on these points before the operation.
The first risk factor is smoking as it increases all complications in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Nicotine and the degradation products in cigarettes including electronic cigarettes cause problems with the microvascularization of skin tissue which leads to an increase in delayed healing, necrosis, hematomas and infections. A total stop of smoking is therefore required for at least one month before your surgery.
The search for diseases that may interfere with the healing process or that may cause bleeding during the operation is systematically carried out and preventive measures are taken if they do not prohibit the intervention (taking or stopping certain medications, preventive anticoagulation, allergy prevention, vitamin supplementation, etc.). Do not forget to tell your surgeon and the anaesthesiologist about your medical history.
Following preoperative treatments
Certain measures can be recommended to obtain a better result.
The surgical procedure must be integrated into a global approach and is not the only guarantee of success of the operation.
The quality of the skin can be improved or prepared by massage and palpating sessions, for example in liposuction or breast reconstruction.
A diet may be requested to obtain the ideal weight. Consultations with the ophthalmologist in eyelid surgery, with the dietician, the nutritionist or the tobacco specialist are sometimes prescribed.
A preoperative treatment may be prescribed and must be followed scrupulously.
