Have you made the decision to have a cosmetic surgery procedure? Then now it is time to learn how to prepare yourself, your body and your support system about what to expect throughout the process.
Very often, people can become overwhelmed by major changes or tasks.
The more prepared you are for your surgery, the more relaxed and reassured you and your support system will feel.
Here are four things you can do to help prepare yourself for your surgery.
1.
Define your goals.
o Write down a list of goals you'd like fulfilled through your cosmetic surgery procedure, including emotional as well as the physical.
2.
Get physically prepared for your surgery.
o Ask how you can maximize the results of your procedure through healthy lifestyle choices like diet, exercise, and sun protection.
o You may have to take specific supplements or medication prior to your surgery.
o If you are a smoker, it is likely that you will have to quit two weeks prior to your cosmetic surgery procedure.
o Remember, surgery forces the body to go through a great deal of healing, so the better you take care of yourself before hand, the easier it will be to heal.
3.
Schedule your surgery and planning for recovery.
o If you think you may want to have additional cosmetic surgery in the future, consider having two or more procedures performed together to save time and costs.
o Pay attention to the description of the procedure.
The more people know about what is happening to their body, the less anxiety they have both before their surgery and afterwards.
o Make sure you understand just how long you will need to heal from your cosmetic surgery procedure.
o In almost all cases, patients are not able to drive or walk unassisted after cosmetic surgery, you will most likely need someone to drive you to your surgery, drive you home and remain with you for the first 24-48 hours.
It might be a day or two before you may begin to take care of yourself.
o Schedule ample recovery time away from work and plan on following the doctor's recovery protocol very closely.
Trying to do too much too soon following surgery can jeopardize your health and your results.
o Make sure you have help during your recovery time - if you have children, make arrangements for some support in the home so you can truly relax during your recovery period.
4.
Scheduling your follow up visits.
o With almost all types of cosmetic surgery, you will need to return to your surgeon one or more times afterwards.
Your surgeon will assess how you are healing, inspect your incisions, and remove stitches or bandages.
o Your surgeon should inform you of what to expect next in the healing process and when to come return.
o Many times, your follow up visits are scheduled prior to surgery.
o It is advised to keep all of your paperwork and information stored in one place.
Remember, it is important to verify that your cosmetic surgeon is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and operates only in a fully accredited and certified operating room.