Information

Pre and Post Surgery Care to Optimize Results

One of the prime concerns of all our patients is what they can do before and after surgery to promote healing. As we all want the most natural result, we want to know what we can do to improve the recovery and healing process and reduce scarring. Although bruising, swelling and scarring is inevitable with most surgeries, there are many things that can be done to minimize these effects - Before surgery, During Surgery, Post Surgery

 

Before surgery

Supplement

Prior to surgery, a lot of our past patients have prepared their body by taking herbal supplements and healing treatments for their body. Many clients have had excellent results taking the herbal supplement “Arnica”. This can be purchased from your local pharmacy or chemist. Many clients have had good results with Arnica, and swelling and bruising after surgery is reduced.

Quitting Smoking

Smoking promotes poor healing and bad scarring, therefore our surgeons recommend that you give up smoking completely for at least 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after surgery. You should not take Nicorette gum or nicotine patches either. The chance of developing keloid scars are greatly increased if you do smoke.

Body Weight and Diet

A good diet and regular exercise in the weeks leading up to surgery can benefit healing and recovery. The goal is to get your body in optimal health, the blood and oxygen circulating. We have consistently found that the clients who are in good health and condition prior to surgery have the best healing and less obvious scarring in the months after surgery.

The measure of ideal body weight is BMI or Body Mass Index, which is a ratio of body weight in Kg to height in metres squared. Normal BMI is between 18 to 25. Candidates who are more than 15kg over the ideal body weight are not good candidates for cosmetic surgery such as liposuction or abdominoplasty, because these procedures are designed only for body sculpting and are definitely not for weight reduction.

Doing surgery on overweight or obese patients will not achieve the goals and only result in patient dissatisfaction and higher chance of complications. Overweight patients should enter an exercise and diet regime to lose weight to near normal level and become suitable candidates.

No sun!

Whatever treatment that you have, one thing is essential - keep all scars out of the sun! All good surgeons will advise you to do this - it is absolutely necessary for proper scar healing. Exposure to the harmful UV rays of the sun may damage the skin and lead to bad healing. So, bring your sunscreen and a good hat.

Massage and Treatments

If you are considering liposuction, past clients have found it beneficial to get their skin in peak condition, with massages of oils and crèmes. This may also reduce cellulite after your surgery in the hips and thigh regions. A session of Endermologie the day before the operation can also help to circulate the blood and prepare the body for liposuction. Endermologie is an intense treatment for cellulite reduction – if you would like more information, please contact your representative.

During Surgery

The surgeons are aware of a patient’s need to minimize scars, and therefore will do their best to place incisions in inconspicuous places in the natural creases of the skin.

For breast augmentations, the surgeons almost always recommends the incision under the breast, for a better shape, as well as hiding the scars underneath the breast folds. But other incision options are available - through the areola and under the armpit.

For Abdominoplasties (Tummy Tucks), a long scar is necessary, often from hip to hip, however, the surgeon always plans to place the incisions as low as possible, close to the panty line, so these can be covered with clothing. If you have had a C-Section, then he will try to follow that same scar, so you will be left with no additional scars.

In the case of Facelifts, scars are kept minimal and mostly in the hair line. There will be a small scar in front of the ears, but with a brow lift, the scars are well within the hairline. There will be swelling and bruising around the eyes, and along the jaw line. The surgeon recommends a hot water cloth or frequent short saunas to reduce the swelling, which you can apply several times a day. The length of time of healing after a facelift varies a lot from person to person, the average time of healing for the final result is from 21 days to 3 months.

For Liposuction, there will be a couple of small scars, depending on the extent of your liposuction. These will be red for a couple of months, but then fade and be hardly noticeable in most cases.

Post Surgery

Remember it may take a couple of weeks to a couple of months for everything to go down and you to feel normal again. Until then you may get different sensations, from numbness to ‘pins and needles’ and soreness in the areas. If there are stray stitches that come to the surface, this is OK as well, just see your GP to get them removed.

If your scarring or results look a little uneven, this could be swelling or bruising under the skin, this is normal and nothing to worry about, it will all go down with time. Some people do take longer than others to completely recover, anywhere between 3-6 months for complete swelling to go down.

Healing is an individualistic process. The answer lies in our body’s ability to heal - some faster than others, depending on age and general health. Genetic make-up does play a major role in the recovery process, and also the size, position and depth of the wound.

For any post-surgery questions, please direct your email to: info@gorgeousgetaways.com

For the most popular treatments, here's what to expect:

Breast Augmentation:

Swelling is unavoidable post-operative but is likely to dissipate from a few days to a few weeks. Bruising is uncommon but varies from patient to patient. Scars are usually hidden under the breast folds, the armpit, or around the areola.

Facelift:

The major swelling and bruising lasts for at least a week. Outdoors, you can wear sunglasses and scarves. It is very important to always apply sun screen to protect the scars from the sun, as they are photo-sensitive after surgery. After a week, the residual bruising and swelling can be covered with makeup, but the final result may not be seen for a couple of months.

We also can recommend a post-facelift treatment program, which promotes healing, reduces the scarring and bruising. Please ask your representative for more information and for prices.

Liposuction:

After liposuction, you will be recommended to wear a compression garment for a couple of weeks to reduce swelling and bruising. After a couple of days, you may remove the garment for bathing and showering, and during this time, you can gently massage the area with vitamin e crème. This will help with circulation and healing. The small stitches will be removed after about a week. After a week or 2, massaging becomes important to drain the scar tissue underneath the skin. It is also important to drink lots of water to re-hydrate the body, and this will also help with eliminating toxins and reducing cellulite.

We also recommend a special post-liposuction treatment program – specialized machines will detox the areas treated, drain away the fluids, and reduce the swelling. These are very relaxing treatments also, and patients say that they notice immediate improvements. Please ask your representative for more information and for prices.

Tummy tuck:

Even though tummy tucks will leave a long scar, there are many things that can help healing. Swelling and bruising will last a couple of weeks, and expect the scar to look like a fresh incision. Many patients say that this can be helped with silicone crèmes or patches, which your GP can prescribe.

After a few weeks, the scar will gradually fade with time, and most people feel back to normal completely after 6 months. People who opt for a tummy tuck will ‘trade off’ the scar for a flatter stomach.

Before embarking on any surgery, we advise you to read up as much as possible about your treatment. You can read about different treatments here:

Please view our photo gallery here of before and after photos of past clients:

We also encourage you to call the surgeon to ask any questions on any surgery treatments, and also past clients. If you would like their number, please email us: info@gorgeousgetaways.com