How to prepare
for surgery

What to do four weeks beforehand, what to do on the last night, and what to have ready at home before you set off for the operating theatre.

Much of what makes for a smooth recovery is settled before the operation, not after it. Below is a practical timeline.

4–6 weeks before

Stop smoking. This is the single most important item on the whole list. Nicotine constricts the small blood vessels precisely where the skin has the hardest time healing. In smokers, the risk of poor wound healing and skin loss is several times higher, and in abdominoplasty and facelift surgery this is a real risk, not a theoretical one.

E-cigarettes and nicotine patches are not the answer — the problem is the nicotine itself.

Stabilise your weight. If you are planning to lose a significant amount of weight, the operation is postponed. Surgery is planned for the body you will have, not the one you have now.

2–3 weeks before

• Pre-operative tests. Which tests you need is not the same for everyone — it depends on the operation, your age and any other medical conditions
• A consultation with the anaesthetist if you are having general anaesthesia
• A review of all the medicines and supplements you take

Blood-thinning medicines and some supplements — aspirin, anti-inflammatories, fish oil, ginkgo, vitamin E — are usually stopped before surgery. How far in advance is not the same for everyone and depends on the product, so it is decided individually rather than by a general rule.

Anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs must never be stopped without the agreement of the doctor who prescribed them. Never stop prescribed treatment on your own initiative.

1 week before

• Do your shopping in advance — food, water, pharmacy items
• Set up a place to sleep where you can keep your upper body raised
• Arrange for someone to accompany you on the day of surgery and for help at home for the first few days
• Buy the prescribed compression garment, vest, bra or band
• Have loose clothing ready that fastens at the front and does not need to be pulled over your head

The night before and the morning of surgery

• Follow your anaesthetist’s specific instructions. For planned operations, solid food is usually stopped at least 6 hours before the anaesthetic, and clear fluids are often allowed until 2 hours before — the rules vary with the operation and your health
• Shower the evening before or that morning, without applying cream or body lotion
• No make-up, nail varnish, contact lenses or jewellery
• Bring your identity documents and medical records
• Arrange for someone to accompany you. You must not drive after sedation or anaesthesia

What to ask at the consultation

• Exactly which technique will be used, and why that one rather than another
• Where the incisions will be and what the scar will look like
• What type of anaesthesia, and how long the operation will take
• How many nights in hospital
• When the stitches come out and when the follow-up appointments are
• When you can go back to work, to the gym, to the beach
• What the risks are and what is done if they occur
• What is included in the price and what is not

Write your questions down beforehand. Once you are in the consulting room, half of them are forgotten.

Preparing mentally

Two things that are rarely said.

First: in the first few days, almost everyone has regrets. Swelling, bruising, discomfort and a feeling that it was a mistake. This passes and says nothing about the final result.

Second: the result is assessed at three to six months, not at two weeks. Patience is as much a part of the treatment as the dressings.