Did You Prepare Properly Before Cosmetic Surgery?

Hello, this is Know-Your-Place Older Sister.

A while ago, one of our hospital’s patients was scheduled for a forehead lift under sedation anesthesia at a plastic surgery clinic in Gangnam, but they had accidentally kept taking a medication that should have been stopped.

For safety reasons, the surgery was postponed.

Surprisingly, while receiving a consultation, people often hear so much information about cosmetic surgery that they end up forgetting the preparations they themselves need to make.

So today, I’d like to talk about the preparations needed before cosmetic surgery.

Medication Check

1. It is recommended that you stop taking hormone medications, herbal medicine, and health supplements.

This is because their ingredients are often unclear, and they may interfere with hemostasis.

2. Please take blood pressure medication until the morning of the procedure.

In the case of sedation anesthesia, fasting is the rule, but a small amount of water, about half a sip, to take medication is fine.

3. Take diabetes medication until the day before.

However, if the cosmetic surgery is after 4:00 PM, then, like blood pressure medication, take the diabetes medication after a light meal around 8:00 AM.

Check for and report any allergies

For safe cosmetic surgery,

if you are allergic to eggs, soy, soy milk, milk, or antibiotics,

please let the clinic know in advance.

List of medications to stop 7 days before cosmetic surgery

• Aspirin, warfarin, ibuprofen, naproxen, NSAIDs, Plavix, Flavitol

• Herbal medicine, diet pills, glucosamine, red ginseng, ginseng, steroid-containing medications, Ginkgo biloba products, omega-3, vitamin E

• Ginkgo leaf preparations (Tanakan tablets, Tanamin tablets, Ginkgoin F tablets)

The medications above contain ingredients that interfere with hemostasis, so stopping them 7 days in advance is recommended.

In particular, do not forget that aspirin and warfarin must be stopped обязательно so that recovery can proceed smoothly!

Medication can usually be restarted 3 to 5 days after surgery.

If you cannot stop painkillers, take Tylenol (acetaminophen) instead of ibuprofen.

Medications to stop 1 month before cosmetic surgery

• Oral contraceptives

You should stop them 4 weeks in advance. After the procedure is over, you can start taking them again 2 weeks later.

• Hormone preparations

If you are undergoing hormone therapy, it is often recommended to stop 4 to 6 weeks in advance; this is the case for general anesthesia.

For minor surgeries such as eye cosmetic surgery, consult the doctor who prescribed the medication about whether you should stop it.

No smoking before surgery

Smoking interferes with hemostasis and constricts the small blood vessels that supply the skin.

Therefore, in the case of a facelift or nose surgery, you should stop smoking at least 4 weeks in advance,

and for eye cosmetic surgery, you should stop smoking at least 2 weeks in advance.

You may resume smoking after 4 weeks if there are no problems with the wound.

Preparations for the day of cosmetic surgery

1. Fasting

If you are having sedation anesthesia,

no food, water, or candy is allowed from 6 hours before surgery on the day of the procedure.

In university hospitals, 8 hours of fasting is the rule, but for aesthetic surgery that takes a short amount of time,

6 hours is often sufficient.

2. Clothing

If you are having body contouring surgery, pants with elastic bands that are easy to change into are recommended. For facial surgery, tops with buttons are better than pullovers or T-shirts.

3. Remove accessories

All metal items and excessive accessories such as earrings, necklaces, rings, piercings, dentures, and nail accessories must be removed.

This is related to the risk of burns, so please be sure to follow this.

If you have a pacemaker, be sure to tell the doctor during the consultation.

4. Other items to prepare

Please prepare a hat, sunglasses, and a mask in advance so you can cover your face after surgery.

Of course, since there are so many plastic surgery clinics in Gangnam,

you can easily get a hat at the underground shopping center near Gangnam Station.

At that time, please make sure the hat is roomy enough to minimize pressure on the face.

5. Cleansing and showering

Since washing your face or shampooing may be restricted for a while after cosmetic surgery,

it is recommended that you wash your face and shower before coming to the clinic.

6. Exposure to ultraviolet rays

Please stop exposing yourself to strong sunlight or tanning from 2 weeks in advance.

7. Hair salon

Hair treatments using chemicals such as dyeing or perming should be avoided from 2 weeks in advance,

and also for 4 weeks after cosmetic surgery.

8. Shaving

Please do not shave from 2 days before, as shaving can cause cuts on the skin.

9. Driving

For safety reasons, driving yourself on the day is dangerous.

Please use public transportation.

That’s it.

I briefly introduced the important preparations before cosmetic surgery.

Although the details may vary a little depending on the treatment method or the area, for general sedation-anesthesia cosmetic surgery,

if you follow the above, the procedure can go ahead without difficulty.

Please refer to the video below for how to reduce swelling after cosmetic surgery.