If you’re considering having that plastic surgery procedure you’ve been thinking about, we’re here to help see you through it. One of the ways we do that is by helping you understand some things that are essential for optimal recovery.

Must-Have #1 –Support

As you prepare for your surgery, you should arrange help for after the procedure. But what does that look like? The answer is that it’s different for each person and each procedure. If you are planning a facelift, you may need someone to do the cooking for a few days, or to drive you around for the first 10 days or so. If you undergo a tummy tuck, you will need someone to help you get up and around for the first several days, and someone to help with meals and driving. Going through surgery is a very personal experience and it makes patients vulnerable. While help is usually needed, sometimes it’s hard to accept that and make arrangements for it. Relying on others makes some people uncomfortable. However, having great support is essential if you want to achieve a great result safely. Don’t wait to arrange help. Do this far in advance of your surgery.

Must-Have #2 – Medications and supplies

We see patients in our Fort Worth office about 2 weeks before their plastic surgery procedure. During that visit we provide all of the prescriptions they will need after the operation. We want our patients to get those prescriptions filled long before their surgery. That saves unnecessary running around on the day of surgery. Which prescriptions we provide depend on the specific operation being done. Of course, we don’t want people to be uncomfortable after surgery, so we usually prescribe a pain medication. We may prescribe antibiotics and other medications as well. For more information about medications we may prescribe, click here and scroll down the page. Some pain medications will make you constipated so we also recommend you also consider picking up some magnesium citrate or polyethylene glycol (Miralax). Look here to see some of the supplies you might pick up while you have your prescriptions filled.

Must-Have #3 – Patience

We live in an “Instagram world”. It’s natural to want to see the final surgical result immediately. Before-and-after photographs on social media make it seem so effortless, so quick. And yet, in reality it takes some time for swelling to go down and tissue changes to occur. The excitement that you feel before surgery can be tempered a little bit in the first few weeks of recovery. It takes a little time to feel better, and if may take a few months to really see the result you were hoping to see. We urge our patients to look for the small wins; the little improvement in bruising and lessening of swelling from day to day, the decreasing discomfort and the improvement in movement. Of course, we see our patients often after surgery to help guide them through this recovery process.

Is this your year to enhance your appearance? We can help! Call (817) 335-5200 to schedule your consultation at our Fort Worth office.