[EtonTV] Complete Summary of Precautions Before & After Surgery

Before & After Surgery

Complete Summary of Precautions

We’re going to look at the precautions that are easy to overlook before and after cosmetic surgery,

but can have a decisive impact on the surgical result.

We’ll take a clear look at why small actions that people tend to dismiss with, “One little thing should be fine,” can actually be risky.

I’ll go over the precautions for one week before surgery,

on the day of surgery, and after surgery.

Precautions One Week Before Surgery

✅ Stop taking medications you are currently taking

There are some medications that should be stopped starting one week before surgery.

These include aspirin and anticoagulants,

as well as omega-3, some health supplements,

and even traditional herbal medicine.

Omega-3 also has a similar effect in that it can affect bleeding to some extent.

Health supplements and herbal medicine have such a wide range of ingredients,

and certain vitamins can also promote bleeding.

To prevent the “uncertain risk” of not knowing how a particular ingredient might affect the surgical outcome,

we recommend stopping them all in advance.

However,

everyday medications for chronic conditions that you absolutely need to take,

especially blood pressure medication, are actually encouraged to be taken with a small amount of water even while fasting.

If your blood pressure is high, the risk of bleeding during surgery increases,

and unwanted bleeding can occur even after surgery.

Because the surgery can be performed more safely when blood pressure is stabilized,

it is best to keep to the prescribed timing.

If you are sick and need to take medication, it is a good idea to consult the medical staff and consider postponing the surgery.

In some cases, people with chronic conditions such as diabetes need to discuss their situation thoroughly with the medical staff on an individual basis.

Precautions One Week Before Surgery

✅ No smoking

Smoking is especially harmful in surgeries that involve mucous membranes, such as bone surgery or nasal surgery.

The nicotine in cigarettes constricts blood vessels.

When blood vessels constrict,

wound healing is hindered and delayed.

That increases the likelihood of infection, inflammation, and scarring.

A week is the minimum period needed for harmful substances such as nicotine to be washed out of the body to some extent,

and for damaged mucous membranes to recover.

Precautions One Week Before Surgery

✅ Remove nail and toenail polish

Gel nails, nail polish, and pedicure polish

need to be removed.

When general anesthesia or sedation anesthesia is used,

it is very important to check whether the patient is breathing properly.

At that time, oxygen saturation is measured on the nail area of the fingers or toes.

If there is nail polish or decorative nail pieces,

the measurement will not be accurate.

That is why we ask that it be removed.

Some people ask whether it is okay to remove only one finger’s nail polish.

Of course, there are times when removing only one may be enough,

but an emergency situation can arise in which the monitor needs to be moved suddenly.

If it cannot be used on one hand, the other hand may need to be used,

and if that also does not work,

the foot may need to be used.

For safety in case of emergency, removing everything is best.

Precautions the Day Before Surgery

✅ Fasting (water, gum, candy)

Fasting means refraining from “anything that can be swallowed by mouth,” including water and candy.

This is because if there is a lot of material in the stomach during anesthesia,

there is a risk of aspiration.

This refers to food or liquid that should be in the stomach or esophagus

passing into the airway.

If vomiting occurs under anesthesia,

the chance of aspiration is much higher than when a person is conscious.

If it becomes severe, it can lead to pneumonia,

so fasting must be strictly followed.

Some people think gum should be fine,

but chewing gum itself triggers mastication

and causes a lot of saliva and secretions to be produced.

When those secretions go into the stomach,

it is also considered breaking the fast.

Gum also contains sweeteners.

So gum should also be avoided.

Precautions on the Day of Surgery

✅ Makeup and clothing

It is best to come with a bare face after washing your face.

If you come wearing heavy makeup,

there may be problems with sterilization during the removal process.

As for clothing, button-up clothes that are easy to put on and take off are best.

Clothes that need to be pulled off over the head, like T-shirts,

can be uncomfortable when there is a bandage or dressing on the face.

Precautions on the Day of Surgery

✅ No driving

Whether it is sedation anesthesia or general anesthesia,

even in the case of local anesthesia,

driving on the day of surgery is dangerous.

Especially if it is facial surgery,

it may interfere with your field of vision,

and even a small risk should be avoided,

so it is better to use public transportation

or come with a guardian.

After Surgery

✅ Sleeping position

If you had facial surgery,

it is best to sleep with your face slightly higher than your heart.

Swelling drains through the heart,

and if the head is lower than the heart,

swelling may build up due to gravity.

Raising your back by about 15 to 30 degrees is enough.

There is no need to sleep sitting bolt upright.

After Surgery

✅ Cold compresses and warm compresses

Many people get confused about when and how to use cold compresses and warm compresses.

As a rule, cold compresses are used for about 48 hours after surgery,

and after that, they are switched to warm compresses.

Surgery is an act that damages tissue,

and as a normal healing response, the “inflammatory phase” occurs.

Cold compresses should be used during the inflammatory phase.

During this phase, blood flow increases,

vascular permeability rises,

and water accumulates between tissues.

That is swelling.

Lowering the temperature with a cold compress causes blood vessels to constrict,

which helps reduce swelling from building up.

The less that builds up, the faster it can go down later.

After 48 hours,

it becomes the period when the swelling should start to go down.

Warm compresses relax blood vessels

and promote circulation,

helping the water in the tissues drain out through the blood vessels more effectively.

After surgery, sensation may be reduced, so extreme temperatures should be avoided.

A little cooler than body temperature,

and a little warmer than body temperature.

In other words, keeping it comfortably lukewarm is safest.

After Surgery

✅ Take your prescribed medication

In particular, you should never stop taking antibiotics on your own.

Taking them inconsistently can lead to resistance,

and it is best to complete the full prescribed course and then stop exactly as directed.

If you forget and miss the time for taking your medication,

it is better to take it anyway and start a new schedule from that point.

After Surgery

✅ Steam rooms, saunas, and strenuous exercise

Steam rooms and saunas have high temperature and humidity,

and staying in water for a long time will make wounds swell.

Then the force trying to pull the tissue apart becomes stronger,

so even after the stitches are removed,

the wound may swell and try to split open.

It is safest to avoid them for about a month until the wound has fully healed.

Light walking is good for recovery, but

strenuous exercise that raises blood pressure or causes heavy sweating should be avoided.

Exercises that increase intra-abdominal pressure, such as squats or bench press, are also not good.

When intra-abdominal pressure rises,

ultimately tissue pressure and blood pressure also rise.

After surgery, the blood vessels that were used to stop bleeding may not yet have fully healed.

If blood pressure rises at this time,

postoperative bleeding can occur,

which can prolong recovery

and affect the final result.

After Surgery

✅ Alcohol, smoking, and non-alcoholic beer

Smoking affects wound healing delays because of nicotine,

so it is absolutely prohibited.

Alcohol should also be avoided for at least a week because of its effects on overall condition and the risk of falling.

Non-alcoholic beer may contain a very small amount of alcohol,

but it does not seem likely to have a major effect on wound recovery.

After Surgery

✅ Skin care, massage, and salon visits

Going to a salon is possible if washing your hair is inconvenient.

However, after surgery with a scalp incision,

dyeing your hair would not be appropriate.

In particular, manual therapy or facial massage can apply strong pressure to the face,

so of course these should be avoided.

Touching the surgical area to stimulate it

or transferring dirt to it is also not good,

so please be careful.

After Surgery

✅ Wearing contact lenses

If surgery was performed directly on the conjunctival area of the eye,

you need to follow the period even more carefully.

Even after that period has passed,

if wearing contact lenses feels uncomfortable,

there may still be swelling in the conjunctiva or mucous membrane,

or the wound may not yet be fully healed.

If it is uncomfortable, it is better not to wear them.

Anything done in excess is not good.

If you walk too much because walking is good for swelling,

and end up losing weight,

you may actually lack the energy needed for recovery.

Maintaining a state with enough nutrition and energy

is best for wound healing.

If you follow the precautions before and after surgery while knowing the reason behind them,

you will be able to recover comfortably

and achieve better results.

Wishing you a safe and successful recovery.

Thank you.