Before the Surgery : Day of the Surgery : After the Surgery

Before the Surgery…

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Medications to avoid prior to surgery

The following medications should be avoided 2 weeks prior to your surgery because they increase the tendency of bleeding. For this reason, it is very important that contents of any over-the-counter preparations be checked carefully prior to their use. Many headache preparations, cold remedies, and “hangover cures” contain aspirin. The chemical name of aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid.

Avoid these drugs containing salicylates (Aspirin): Acetidine Alka Seltzer Anacin Anahist APC Aspirin BC Bromo-Quinine Bromo-Seltzer Bufferin Coricidin Darvon Compound Dristan Ecotrin Empirin Compound Excedrin 4 Way Cold Tablets Inhiston Liquiprin Midol Pepto-Bismol Persistin Sal-Sayne Stanback Theracin Trigesic

Avoid these aspirin-related products: Advil Anaprox Ansaid Arthrotect Aypro Cataflem Celebrex Celecoxib Clinoril Diclofenac Dolobid Etodolac Feldene Ibuprofen Indocin Indomethacin Ketorolac Lodine Mefenamic Acid Mobic Otrin Naprelan Naprosyn Naproxen Nuprin Orudis Oruvail Piroxicam Ponstel Relafen Sulindac Tolectin Tolmetin Toradol Vioxx Voltaren

Other medications to avoid: Coumadin, Plavix, Heparin, or any blood thinning medication.

Herbal medications and nutritional supplements to avoid

Some herbal medications and nutritional supplements may also increase bleeding and photosensitivity (i.e. sun sensitivity). Please discontinue all herbal medications and nutritional supplements 2 weeks before and after surgery. (Some plant foods (e.g. celery, dill, fennel) may be used in moderation in your diet.)

Avoid these herbs that may make you bleed: Bilberry Black Cohosh Rhizome Cayenne Dong Quai Echinacea Feverfew Fish Oil Caps Garlic Ginseng Gingko Biloba Hawthorne Horse Chestnut Bark Kava Kava Licorice Root Ma Huang (Ephedra) Meadow Sweet Flower Melatonin Poplar Bark or Buds St. John’s Wort Weet Birch Bark Sweet Clover Plant Sweet Vernal Grass Leaves Sweet Scented Bedstraw Plant Tonka Bean Seeds Valerian Vanilla Leaf Leaves Willow Bark Wintergreen Leaves Woodruff Plant Yohimbe

Avoid these herbs that may make you sensitive to the sun: Angelica Root and Fruit Celery Dill Fennel Khella Fruit Lomatium Root Lovage Root Cow Parsnip Parsley Queen Anne’s Lace Agrimony Bergamot Peel Bitter Orange Peel Buttercup Plant Fig Goosefoot Lemon Peel Psoralea Seeds Rue Leaves St. John’s Wort Yarrow Plant

If you are uncertain about any specific herb or supplement not listed here, please contact us before taking it.

Vitamins, tobacco, and alcohol to curb

If you are taking a routine multivitamins, you may continue doing so. However, if you are taking any Vitamin E pills, please stop 2 weeks before and after surgery, because this may increase your chance of bleeding.

Nicotine in any form, including cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, and even transdermal patches and gum can adversely affect your wound healing. If possible you are advised to stop all forms of tobacco 2 weeks before and after surgery, especially if Dr. Dagan is performing a facelift. You may compromise the success of your surgery if you continue to take tobacco.

Try to abstain from any heavy drinking 2 weeks before and after surgery. If possible, curtail even moderate drinking 1 week before and after surgery. Alcohol consumption may cause excessive bleeding during and after the surgery.

How much time before a special event should I have a cosmetic facial procedure?

So your special event is about to take place and you want to look your best, it is most important to time it appropriately so that it will not be noticeable before the event date. The art behind cosmetic surgical treatment of the face is to look naturally beautiful and not to look as if “something was done” to the face. If a glowing, smooth and radiant complexion is desired without any invasive treatment, microdermabrasion or power peel may be considered approximately three days prior to an event. This will prevent any bruising to the skin that may be noticeable and break through makeup.

Three weeks prior to an event, smoothening of wrinkles on the forehead, crow’s feet or frown lines as well the raising of brows may be done with Botox. The reason you should allow three weeks prior to the event is that full effect is sometimes not realized for at least a week and any kind of bruising or needle marks will have disappeared by this point. Injectible treatment with Restylane, Juvederm, and Sculptra may be done three weeks prior to the event as well to allow for fuller sexy lips, smoother skin, decreased lines and wrinkles in the face. Any sign of bruising, pain, lumpiness will have worked itself out at three weeks. Elimination of all the unwanted bodily hair with laser normally should take place three months prior to the event. This allows for care-free hairless skin that doesn’t get red because of waxing or shaving close to the event. Keep in mind that these three months allow for any fix-up treatments to take place as well as any redness of the skin to disappear.

Commonly, before weddings during times of stress but especially during pregnancy and hormonal changes, there are small veins that appear especially on the face, arms and legs that almost look like tiny spiders, hence their name ‘spider veins’. These are best treated with laser as well approximately three months before an event. The redness will resolve within this time with a sleek clear skin without any blemishes.

Turning the clock back on your facial skin by removing any sun damage, dark spots on the skin, redness from rosacea or other facial lesions may be done with the laser as well. Again allow three months before an event for such treatment to allow for fix-ups as well as disappearance of any redness or pigment changes of the skin.

The removal of unwanted fat to either re-contour your chin, or your body to better fit in a gown, swim suit or simply to slim down the thighs, buttocks, stomach, arms or love-handles as well as knees may be safely done three months prior to the event.

A face lift should be done three to four months before the event to allow the tissues to heal properly.

Mentally preparing yourself—a patient's advice

Elective surgery, especially the more invasive procedures, isn't just a physical surgery—it is a very emotional experience which can cause a great impact on your mind, both positively and negatively.  Many aspects of surgery can affect your emotions to the point of temporary depression.

Preparation is an important step because one can set themselves up for depression and shock if they are not fully prepared.  Take care to organize and gather your senses and thoughts beforehand.  Anesthesia and medications can truly affect your outlook so please know this beforehand.  Relaxation can decrease your recovery time and help things progress more easily.

Of course you will have your pre-operative jitters so just try to relax and truly if you trust, and I know this is the difficult part, if you trust the surgeon performing your surgery and let him do his job, everything will go along more smoothly.  Getting worked up about your surgery to a point of fright can lead to severe nervous tension which interferes with the healing process.  Just know that it is normal to be excited and have that adrenaline rush from knowing you will have perkier, rejuvenated breasts very soon!

What You Can Do To Prepare

Knowing what you can do to help your mind ease its way into your surgery can certainly help you prepare both pre and post-operatively.  Below are just a few things to help put things into perspective.

• Look at photographs of yourself and go over, either on paper or in your head, why you truly want the procedure.
• Talk any concerns over with your spouse or family and reassure them why you want the surgery.
• Ascertain that your surgeon is aware of your wishes.
• Talk to your friends if you want to tell them of your decision, but remember, it is YOUR prerogative if you decide not to tell anyone.
• Remind yourself: during the healing phase, you will be:
  1. bruised
  2. sore
  3. swollen
  4. asymmetrical
  5. tired
  6. irritable
  7. unsure
  8. possibly depressed
• If you realize and truly understand all of the above beforehand, there will be no surprises.
• Get massage a few days before your scheduled procedure to help you soothe your mind and your body or do whatever pleases you and helps you to relax.
• The evening before the procedure, take a nice bath or hot shower and wash your hair. You will not be able to wash your hair until all the sutures have been removed. You may want to light some candles and listen to healing and/or relaxing music as you soak in the tub.
• Be sure to rinse off in the shower with anti-bacterial soap afterwards to help remove oils, creams or perfumes on your body.
• Know and believe that this doesn't have to be a stressful time.  Stress will only prolong your healing time and make you feel ill at ease.
• Smile and relish in your decision to look and feel your best and in knowing you will look beautiful in just a few short weeks!

Before the Surgery : Day of the Surgery : After the Surgery

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