How do I prepare for plastic surgery after weight loss?
Your surgeon will provide thorough preoperative instructions, answer any questions you may have before your surgery, take a detailed medical history, and perform a physical exam to determine your fitness for surgery.
In advance of your procedure, your surgeon may ask you to:
- Lose weight or make a lifestyle change to ensure the best results and minimize the chance of complications. You should be at a stable, dependable weight before you undergo body contouring. It is a good idea for your aesthetic plastic surgeon to consult with your bariatric surgeon before surgery to determine if you have achieved your final weight plateau.
- Stop smoking before undergoing surgery to promote better healing. Your surgeon will tell you how far in advance of your surgery you should quit.
- Avoid taking aspirin, certain anti-inflammatory drugs, and some herbal medications that can cause increased bleeding.
- Hydrate before and after surgery for safe recovery.
- Keep alcohol consumption to less than two to three drinks per week.
- Prepare meals that you can easily reheat. Stock your refrigerator before your surgery with high-protein, low-sodium foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, and lots of caffeine-free beverages and water. Avoid food and drinks containing salt during your recovery.
- Prepare your home for recovery. Store all the supplies you'll need during recovery where they're easily accessible (counter level, not in overhead or very low cabinets). You may have a limited range of motion after your surgery. Stockpile items like your phone, chargers, TV remote, and anything else you may need by your bed. Prepare your bed with the necessary pillows you might need for support.
- Get all of your chores out of the way before surgery so you may recuperate with as little worry as possible. You should not be lifting, driving, doing laundry or cleaning during your recovery from most of these procedures.
- Establish a no-fail support system for the full recovery period indicated by your surgeon. If you have children less than five years of age, you must have someone to take care of them for at least two weeks.
- Decide what to wear for the first few days, including what you’ll wear the day of your procedure. Pick items that open in front. Wear slip-on shoes, so you don't have to bend.
Whether your surgery is performed on an inpatient or outpatient basis and whether you stay overnight at a recovery center depends on many variables. Your board-certified aesthetic plastic surgeon will evaluate your medical issues, the details of your surgery, the length of time your surgery takes, and the availability of a caregiver to determine the best plan for you. If you go home the same day, you will need to arrange for someone to drive you home after surgery and stay with you for at least the first night following surgery.
What can I expect the day of my plastic surgery after weight loss?
Be sure to consult with your surgeon before your surgery, so you have the most accurate expectations.
- You may have your post-bariatric surgery in an accredited hospital, free-standing ambulatory facility, or office-based surgical suite.
- Your surgeon will give you an estimate for how long your surgery will last based on the number of procedures you undergo.
- The surgeon will administer medications for your comfort during the procedure.
- General anesthesia is common for plastic surgery after weight loss procedures. In some instances, the surgeon will use local anesthesia or intravenous sedation too.
- For your safety during the surgery, various monitors will be used to check your heart, blood pressure, pulse, and the amount of oxygen circulating in your blood.
- Your surgeon will follow the surgical plan discussed with you before surgery. Once surgery has begun, the surgeon may decide to combine various techniques or change a technique to ensure the best result. It is important that you feel comfortable and trust your surgeon to make these decisions.
- After your surgery, you will go to a recovery area for continued monitoring.
- Your surgical dressings will depend on the procedures you undergo and may include surgical drains.
- Before leaving for home, you (or someone looking after you) should feel capable of emptying and resetting the drains.
You may go home after a short observation period or spend one or two nights in an aftercare center with a nurse or at the hospital unless you and your aesthetic plastic surgeon have made other plans for your immediate postoperative recovery. Under no circumstances will you be permitted to go home alone or stay home without another adult present. Follow your surgeon’s recommendation in relation to this decision.